Glory for All: Tales of the Imperial forces
by President Luthor
Summary: The Death Star is destroyed. The Emperor is dead. The battle-scarred remnants of the Imperial Fleet rally behind General Veers, the Empire's legendary hero, as he struggles to restore order in the galaxy. COMPLETE Jul27/02
1. Prologue

BACKGROUND: After ROTJ, the battle-scarred remnants of the Imperial Navy watch in horror as the New Republic reclaims worlds once under the heel of the Empire. In the ranks of the Empire, there are those who want nothing less than to seize the Empire's glory for themselves. General Veers, the professional soldier and consummate tactician, must struggle to preserve what countless stormtroopers and pilots died to forge -- an Empire that stood for order. This is his story ... and that of the Empire's surviving rank-and-file.  
  
PROLOGUE:  
  
[On the Imperial Navy command ship, the 'Vindicator']  
  
The logistics officer ran into the bridge room. "Captain, Captain!!"  
  
Captain Tenvor. "Lieutenant, I'm very busy" Two dozen TIE fighters swarmed ahead of them. "Rebellions are breaking out throughout the sector. The rebels are using the battle in Endor to instigate sedition throughout our territories."  
  
The lieutenant caught his breath. "It's Jerjerrod. His last report said the rebels brought down the defense shield generator. The Death Star is vulnerable!!"  
  
"I'm afraid that was his LAST transmission," a voice uttered from the rear. The officers on the bridge turned around. The voice spoke with authority. And one not to be questioned.  
  
Captain Tenvor turned around. "News from the front, General Veers??"  
  
Veers delivered the news with clinical objectivity. "Emperor Palpatine is dead. Lord Vader, by all reports, is also dead." A few officers gasped, while others cursed under their breaths.  
  
"And ... the Death Star??" Captain Tenvor hoped. If the Death Star could hang on for a few more hours, we could mass the largest naval operation in the sector. We could force the rebels to withdraw from Endor. Buy the Empire time to regroup.  
  
Veers took off his hat. "Two vessels, an X-Wing fighter and the Millennium Falcon, penetrated the space station's outer defenses. It is lost."  
  
The lieutenant interrupted. "We've been trying to contact the flagship, Executor. No response."  
  
Veers cleared his throat. "It suffered critical damage – before it collided into the Death Star. All hands are lost."  
  
The junior officers began calling for revenge. "We strike now!" "It's up to the Navy to bring about the Rebellion's fall!" "Long live the Empire!"  
  
Captain Tenvor knew some action must be taken. But he had limited combat experience. He merely enforced trade embargoes against planets allied with the rebels. All eyes looked to the general who soundly defeated Princess Leia's forces on Hoth.  
  
Veers stepped up to the centre of the bridge deck, flanked by officers, a few TIE pilots and stormtroopers.  
  
"With the loss of the Emperor and Lord Vader, we no longer have a viable command structure. If the regional governors choose not to resist the – New Republic ..." Veers winced at the sound of those words. "...they would surely sue for peace! We cannot risk fomenting resistance on those planets. In the eyes of the Rebel Alliance, we are the revolutionaries now."  
  
Veers walked along a line of stormtroopers, conducting what seemed to be a fruitless inspection.  
  
"To launch a counterattack now ... would be folly. Suicide. The Rebellion is already moving to reclaim our shipyards and strategic bases. With the loss of the Death Star, this battle is sadly lost." The officers and troops joined in a chorus of boos. Veers held up a hand to silence them.  
  
"The war, however, continues. We shall press on. Without the Empire, the multitude of worlds and species will return to their petty squabbles and vendettas. Mark my words, this democratic 'rebellion' will plunge the galaxy into turmoil and constant bloodshed. The Empire brought a purity of purpose. That is order. Yes, they feared our power. That is true. What those countless worlds feared was our dedication to our goals. The Emperor and Lord Vader used the Force to bring about the glory of this Empire. But they, too, were men. Men like us – with weaknesses. They lost focus, risking all we've fought for ... died for ... to turn Luke Skywalker to the dark side. The fatal mistake was their willingness to place their faith in that Jedi."  
  
Veers looked at a monitor, listing the loss of ships, casualties and bases.  
  
"Coruscant's governor had now yielded the city to New Republic forces," the lieutenant blurted out.  
  
I have to maintain the momentum, Veers told himself, or their will to fight will crumble away in the wind like the dunes of Tatooine.  
  
"It's up to us to continue the pursuit. The pursuit for order." He looked at Captain Tenvor, who finally realized that he had essentially become admiral of the remaining Imperial naval forces. "I know some of you have not tasted battle ... or lack field experience." Veers watched as another squadron of TIE fighters shrieked away from the ship.  
  
"You shall taste battle today. Tomorrow. Every day, until we reclaim the Galactic Empire. Now – NOW is the time to act. Will you choose to fight for order in this galaxy? Or will you watch in vain ... as Skywalker, the bounty hunters and space pirates shred the Empire piecemeal?!" A thunderous NO and applause.  
  
Captain Tenvor, swept up in the patriotic flurry, seized the moment. "We have enough officers aboard to form a provisional Imperial Council." He looked across at the few remaining naval, military and intelligence officers on deck. "I am prepared to place the Imperial Fleet at the disposal of General Veers in whatever endeavour he pursues."  
  
Another commander stepped up. "I place the Imperial Garrison of Cloud City at the disposal of General Veers!"  
  
A TIE pilot removed his helmet. "I pledge my TIE fighter squadron to the cause of the Empire!"  
  
Cheers of 'Long live the Empire' roared throughout the bridge. Stormtroopers raised their rifles in support.  
  
Veers placed a command card before the officers. "I give you the command codes to the Imperial Armoury and Munitions base on Hoth, to be used for our cause."  
  
An eager intelligence officer proclaimed: "I propose that we bestow the rank of Grand Moff to General Veers, as we are agreed that he is the man to lead us to victory!" Many rallied in support, but the call was far from unanimous.  
  
Veers did not trust intelligence officers. They valued political machinations ahead of the purity of warfare. He waved in resistance to this proposal.  
  
"No, no, I must insist – I cannot accept even a temporary political title. I am neither a statesman, nor a diplomat ..."  
  
He put on his hat, straightened his uniform and tightened his gloves – the gloves he wore at the Battle of Hoth.  
  
"I am a soldier, nothing more. I would rather serve as a general, than rule as a viceroy." The crowd cheered loudly. Captain Tenvor nodded, knowing Veers was the man to restore the Empire.  
  
"Captain Tenvor?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"There are a half-dozen Star Destroyers in the Tatooine sector who request a rendezvous. Your instructions?"  
  
Veers took off a bar from his rank insignia and placed it on Tenvor. "Tell their captains that ADMIRAL Tenvor is now commanding the Imperial Navy, by executive order of our Imperial Council. The Emperor is dead. If they wish to join our struggle, send them my regards. I will see them in person."  
  
"And should they wish to surrender to the Rebel Alliance?"  
  
Veers clutched his fist. "Tell them we will direct the Vindicator to intercept them. And destroy them! They know the penalty for treason. If they choose to be rebels, I shall treat them as such."  
  
The bridge became a flurry of activity as pilots reported to their ready stations, officers scurried to their monitors and stormtroopers marched down hallways.  
  
Veers had reviewed Captain Tenvor's personnel files. He could be trusted. The intelligence officers – mumbling to themselves – could not.  
  
"You see those officers?" Veers whispered to Tenvor. Tenvor nodded. "How many of them do you know?"  
  
"I know Lieutenant Reksil. We were in the Academy together. He's personally loyal to me," Tenvor replied, "Commander Burvik defied Lord Vader and sent reinforcements to rescue a squadron of my troops. He too can be trusted."  
  
"And the others?" Veers looked at two officers in particular, chatting with a stormtrooper commander.  
  
"I'm not familiar with them," Tenvor replied. "I believe they arrived on a shuttle directly from Coruscant, when the Imperial governor declared a state of emergency."  
  
"Keep an eye on them. Can I count on your support should the need arise?"  
  
"Yes, General." Tenvor replied. Veers nodded in agreement and walked to the command room. The Empire's new war had barely begun – and already there were traitors scheming to hasten its collapse.  
  
[AUTHOR'S NOTE: I welcome any comments on this introduction to my story. It will be Imperial-focused, with appearances – at some point – of Han, Luke, Leia and the regulars. I won't be relying on any of the post-ROTJ novels that are out there.] 


	2. Loyalties

Lieutenant Reksil spoke into the transmission speakers again. "Imperial destroyer, Vindicator. General hail to any and all Imperial vessels. The Death Star is destroyed. Please respond. This is the Vindicator."  
  
No response. The Rebel Alliance was relentless. With the death of the Emperor, the Imperial Fleet was in retreat. Coruscant, the heart of the Empire, was signed away to the rebels by that cowardly governor. We could have held the capital. But no, the governor and his weak-kneed minions avoided a bloody conflict with a simple armistice. Some stormtrooper batallions left promptly, not wishing to stomach the surrender of the capital to Mon Mothma. A few others, sadly, surrendered. Or worse – joined the ranks of the New Republic.  
  
Are we the only Imperial vessels alive, Reksil began to wonder. Then the speakers crackled. "Imperial destroyer Vindicator, we acknowledge ..." Another crackle. "... sustained moderate damage ... arrived in Endor to provide reinforcements ... engaged Ackbar's fleet ..."  
  
Reksil repeated. "Please identify yourself, Imperial vessel."  
  
"This is the Star Destroyer, Avenger. Request coordinates of flagship, Executor."  
  
Reksil bowed his head. "Flagship lost in battle of Endor. Death Star destroyed. Imperial Fleet in retreat."  
  
An awkward pause. "Acknowledged." Another pause. "This is Lieutenant Mitan."  
  
Reksil adjusted his controls. He was losing the frequency. "Where is your commanding officer?"  
  
Mitan spoke slowly. "Captain Zerrek died when a squadron of A-Wings strafed the bridge."  
  
Admiral Tenvor nodded at Reksil, who immediately gave up his seat. It's been awhile since I handled the communications console. He pressed a button.  
  
"This is Admiral Tenvor, provisional commander of the Imperial Fleet. We have formed an Imperial Council and request that all Imperial vessels rendezvous at these coordinates. Tatooine system."  
  
"We have lost our captain," Mitan mumbled. "Our ship is damaged ... and some officers ... they're suggesting that we surrender our ship to the nearest New Republic vessel."  
  
"And your thoughts, officer?" Tenvor wanted to determine his loyalties.  
  
"Sir, I have served the Empire since the Academy. The death of the Emperor changes nothing. If your Imperial Council will have me, I will continue the fight ..."  
  
A small cheer arose in the communications deck. "Thank you. As commander of the fleet, I grant you the field rank of Captain. Captain Mitan, direct your vessel to the Tatooine system. General Veers would like to speak with you."  
  
Mitan gasped. "Veers is alive, sir? Yes, sir, the Avenger and all hands will meet you in Tatooine. Avenger out."  
  
Veers stood in the rear. His face appeared troubled.  
  
"You're worried some of the rank-and-file have lost the will to fight on?" Tenvor guessed.  
  
"The situation is in flux. Many good officers died on the Death Star and on the Executor. At present, we have no Emperor, and only a skeletal command structure. The troops are ready to serve, but we need to give them reason to go on."  
  
"The Avenger survived the Battle of Endor and will meet us in Tatooine," Tenvor reported.  
  
"Good." We need to be certain the other vessels are as committed to the cause. Veers looked to Reksil. "Continue contacting any remaining Imperial vessels. I don't care if they're 12-man supply ships. I want a full report on a viable Imperial armada by day's end."  
  
"Yes, General." Reksil saluted and returned to his station.  
  
"Admiral," Veers continued, "assemble four of your best stormtrooper squadron and have them on stand-by. Prepare an Imperial shuttle for each of them. I will accompany the lead shuttle."  
  
"You have an operation in mind?" Tenvor was puzzled.  
  
"I intend to be ready," Veers began, "should members of those Imperial vessels choose mutiny over obedience. If they resist, we will take those vessels by force. I would hate to fight against Imperial troops, but I will if called upon." He looked through the bridge window as scores of TIE fighters formed a defensive perimeter around the Vindicator.  
  
The Empire is hanging on by a thread. I will not let that thread snap because I was unprepared.  
  
[On the Imperial Star Destroyer, the Relentless]  
  
The young captain looked out the bridge window. Five more vessels had huddled together – here, in this godforsaken sector. Tatooine. A no man's land. Here, the New Republic had no jurisdiction. They were too busy reclaiming more valuable Imperial bases, shipyards and armouries. News drifted through the ranks that the Emperor and Lord Vader were dead. Good, the captain thought, I grew weary of their dalliances with the dark side of the Force.  
  
Vader's death was especially satisfying. The dark lord had been disappointed that Admiral Ozzel arrived too close to the Hoth system, allowing the rebels to throw up a defense shield. The Imperial forces prevailed then, but it could have been a complete victory.  
  
I'm ashamed that Ozzel failed. But I blame Vader for passing judgment on the admiral's mistakes. Ozzel was mortal after all. A loyal servant of the Empire.  
  
And my father. A lieutenant scrambled up the platform to the bridge. "We have news, Captain. General Veers and a few surviving officers have formed an Imperial Council. We may have lost at Endor, but the war continues!"  
  
Excellent. Perhaps I can redeem the family name after all. "Tell them this: Captain Silec awaits their arrival. The Relentless is at full strength and ready to take the fight to the Alliance. Long live the Empire."  
  
Veers has assumed command of Imperial forces, Silec grumbled. I wouldn't be surprised if he gave himself a Grand Moff's rank by week's end. I changed my name at the Academy because I feared the shame my father could bring to my career. Now I'm in a position to claim the glory that rightfully belongs to the Ozzel household. And vengeance, my dear General Veers – the man whose confidence and military ambition led to my father's death – will be mine. 


	3. All Hands Lost

'All Hands Lost'  
  
Admiral Tenvor bounded up the stairs to the communications station.  
  
"Report, officer." Outside the window, he saw two TIE fighters break off from the main squadron. Preparing to intercept something?  
  
"L-long range scanners indicate a m-mercenary vessel – known in these parts – is concealing itself in a nebula cloud." The young officer was nervous. It was her first posting in space.  
  
"Options?" Tenvor knew that many of the staff were inexperienced. Now they shall taste the rigours of space conflict.  
  
"I ... I notified TIE fighter command of the situation. They scrambled a pair of TIE fighters to intercept and destroy. I've also plotted the fastest route for the Vindicator, should ... the need arise."  
  
"Good. Carry on." Tenvor returned to the bridge.  
  
The nervous officer wiped her brow. Whew! Tass Nemi – Communications Officer Tass Nemi – was one of the last to graduate from the Imperial Academy. Since the birth of the Galactic Empire, the leadership had been dominated by the ruling houses of the galaxy: nobles and their heirs, wealthy merchants. Men. But it was a myth that no women served the Emperor. Women could be found in many "supporting" roles: communications, supply, gunnery. Some even managed to command armoured personnel carriers or supply craft. But women on a Star Destroyer – the finest war vessel ever to leave a shipyard – no, the leadership chose to retain that privilege for themselves and their sons.  
  
The rise of the Rebel Alliance changed all that. Nearly half the graduating class were women. Nemi had her eyes on a combat role. And not just any squadron, but the elite Snowtrooper Corps. They answered to the snowtrooper commander based on the Imperial Armoury and Munitions base on Hoth. Snowtroopers, in turn, fell under the command of the Imperial Armoured Division – which meant AT-ATs ... and the personal command of General Veers.  
  
"Did you hear me, Officer Nemi??" Lieutenant Reksil inquired.  
  
"S-sorry, sir? Your orders, sir?" Nemi concentrated on her long-range radar screen.  
  
"The mercenary vessel you spotted? It was a raider. One of Jabba the Hutt's minions hoping to pick off remnants of our scattered fleet. As you can see on your screen, it has been destroyed. Good job, officer." Then Reksil hushed. "Keep your eyes peeled, Tass. You're lucky we went to the Academy together. Veers is not so forgiving of daydreaming."  
  
Nemi smiled. Yes, Lieutenant. She barely had time to refocus when – at the other end of the deck – another junior lieutenant climbed out of his sublevel station and sprinted to Admiral Tenvor.  
  
"Admiral! We have a transmission from the Imperial supply ship, Restoration!"  
  
Supply ship? Tenvor was pleased at this information. A supply ship had food rations, building materiel, logistics equipment and ... weapons cargo.  
  
The junior officers watched as Tenvor dropped all protocol, removed his cap and leaped down into the sublevel station.  
  
"Please respond, Restoration! This is Admiral Tenvor of the Imperial Fleet. Report situation."  
  
The transmission had broken. Tenvor tapped the holographic console. An Imperial officer – likely a lieutenant – appears in a hazy blue hologram.  
  
"Admiral! We request assistance immediately." The hologram blinked out, then reappeared. "Mutiny!!"  
  
"Present location?" Tenvor demanded. General Veers knelt near the ladder to observe.  
  
"Tatooine system. Half an hour from the rendezvous. Our captain is dead. Our squadron of TIE pilots have rebelled! They want to turn the vessel into a pirate ship! They're coming to the bridge! .... only a dozen stormtroopers here .... officers making stand in engineering ..."  
  
It's begun, Veers thought. The weak-willed in our ranks are exploiting the leadership vacuum to tear the Imperial forces apart – seam by seam. The hologram was more erratic.  
  
"... hold those doors ..." the lieutenant ordered ...  
  
"Lieutenant! If you fail to retain the engineering deck ..."  
  
The lieutenant gulped. He knew exactly what to do. "I shall self-destruct the Restoration."  
  
The hologram flittered, then faded.  
  
Tenvor looked up at Veers, who nodded. Tenvor climbed up the ladder and marched to the bridge.  
  
"Activate hyperdrive. Prepare for hyperspace jump. The Restoration's last coordinates ..."  
  
Points of light on the bridge window became long streaks. The Vindicator had joined the hunt.  
  
[Tatooine system, rendevous point]  
  
Captain Mitan of the Avenger observed the huddled remnants of the Imperial Fleet. Six Star Destroyers, a dozen smaller supply and carrier craft, and probably 70-80 TIE fighters -- left astray as the Alliance continued its final push and destroyed their bases and home vessels.  
  
The hologram of General Veers continued the briefing. "You are hereby ordered to hold your positions. I want an inventory of all supply ships and a working estimate of ground troops. I'll worry about armoured vehicles when I arrive."  
  
"And the Restoration?" Mitan had heard frantic communications from the captain.  
  
"Traitors – TIE pilots if you can believe it! – are attempting to seize the vessel and intend to become privateers. I don't know how much longer the ship can remain in Imperial hands. The Vindicator will intercept in 10 minutes."  
  
"Shall I deploy supporting ships ... I have a gunnery vessel here ..." Mitan suggested.  
  
"No. We will put down the uprising ourselves." Veers hologram faded as Tenvor's appeared.  
  
"Captain? What's your sense of the loyalty of those vessels that have arrived."  
  
"All express loyalty to the Imperial Council ... and submit the usual declarations of sorrow at the death of the Emperor, etc. etc."  
  
"That's not good enough." Mitan knew that only loyal commanders can inspire loyal troops. "Assemble ship captains and divisional commanders aboard the Avenger. The Council will update them on the situation as it stands." Tenvor's hologram faded.  
  
Keep the fleet in Tatooine. That's simple enough, Mitan thought.  
  
"Sir, the Relentless is breaking away from the main fleet!" a bridge officer declared.  
  
"Course??" Mitan demanded.  
  
"Present trajectory ... the Restoration!"  
  
Damn. DAMN! That hot-head, Captain Silec, is itching for another fight. He clicked the communications panel.  
  
"Vindicator, I'm sorry. You are going to have some – company."  
  
[Aboard the Star Destroyer, Relentless]  
  
Captain Silec watched as his ship zoomed into hyperspace. Within minutes, he would be atop the Restoration.  
  
"Any reports, officers?" Silec demanded.  
  
The communications station was in a flurry of activity. "None, sir. Last transmission stated that the Restoration was falling into the hands of the traitors."  
  
Silec spoke into the speakers. "TIE bomber squadron Alpha. Scramble! I repeat. Scramble! Gunnery decks 1 through 10 prepare for battle."  
  
The communications officers looked at each other in surprise. What's the captain up to?  
  
Silec anticipated their bewilderment. "We're about to demonstrate why the Relentless is the finest Star Destroyer in the Empire's fleet."  
  
"What of Admiral Tenvor's orders to stay put?" Commander Kosst, an intelligence officer asked.  
  
"The Empire is crumbling!" Silec snapped, "We are the closest vessel to the Restoration. We cannot allow it to fall into the hands of pirates!!"  
  
"A rescue operation?" Kosst wondered.  
  
Silec looked at the main bridge window. There was the supply ship, Restoration. It appeared that several decks were in flames. "If we get there in time ... if not, I intend to destroy the vessel. Its supplies are much too valuable!!"  
  
"Sir," Kosst insisted, "there are over 2,000 men aboard a ship of that size. Our reports suggest only the TIE squadron has rebelled!"  
  
Silec ignored him. "Bridge, hail them." No response. Silec picked up the speaker. "This is Imperial destroyer Relentless. Respond."  
  
A crackle of sound. "... they're breaking down the door ... E-Web cannon aimed at entrance ... if engineering falls, we're done for ..."  
  
Silec pounded the monitor. This ship is lost! I must prevent that.  
  
"We could ... use a tractor beam to disable the ship?" A stormtrooper commander suggested. His men only had six months' training and were in no shape to lead a boarding party.  
  
"TIE bomber squadron Alpha."  
  
The squadron commander answered. "Orders, Captain?"  
  
"Destroy the Restoration!"  
  
The bomber commander paused. "Sir??"  
  
"Destroy the vessel!!"  
  
The TIE bombers squadron broke formation and showered the supply ship Restoration with a hail of torpedoes.  
  
Kosst pushed aside another officer and tapped the holographic console. "Restoration. Are you still in Imperial hands? Respond!!"  
  
He heard screams. A lieutenant's hologram appeared. "We did it! Mutiny put down! Repeat ... mutiny put down!!"  
  
The officer looked up at the bridge window. Too late. A TIE bomber had exploded the main engineering deck. A sickening purple halo boomed as the Restoration scattered into a million sparks of debris and flame. The hologram faded instantly.  
  
A black-suited commander on the bridge took off his cap. "Two thousand men?! Dead. Just like that."  
  
Kosst grabbed Silec by the shoulders. "Fool! The loyalists succeeded! You just sentenced thousands of Imperial troops and officers to their doom!!"  
  
The stormtrooper commander took off his helmet. "The captain saw the threat. Who knows how many more of its crew sided with the pirates!!"  
  
Kosst was on dangerous ground. Questioning an Imperial captain was an offense in itself. Six months in the punishment batallion. All prisoners stripped of rank. Waste collection and road building, followed by immediate discharge from the Imperial forces. Over two thousand of the Empire's troops vanished ... because of the actions of one stupid man. They did not die in vain. Not if I can do something about it.  
  
"As an Imperial intelligence commander, I have authority to challenge a superior officer if his actions constitute dereliction of duty. You, Captain, have dishonoured the Empire with your rash actions, thus condemning thousands of loyal soldiers to their deaths. By article 699 of the Imperial Military Code ..."  
  
No! He's going to strip me of my command, Silec feared. A few stormtroopers and officers began to gather around him to enforce the arrest.  
  
"Treason! I have saved the fleet from an infection. Those traitors could have used the Restoration to raid our own vessels!!" I must act now. He glanced at the stormtrooper commander, who nodded at another group of troops.  
  
The stormtroopers drew their blasters and seized Kosst, and bound his wrists with binders. The party of troops and officers who had moved to arrest Silec halted.  
  
"I place you under arrest, Kosst, for defying an Imperial captain. Take him to the cellblock."  
  
Silec glared at the group of officers and troops who almost arrested him. "I am captain of this vessel. If you disagree with that, you may serve under Commander Kosst – in detention!" The group quickly dispersed. No officer was worth incarceration, they thought.  
  
A bridge officer interrupted. "We're being hailed." The imposing shadow of the Vindicator blanketed the bridge window.  
  
Veers and his puppets, Silec scoffed. He walked to the command station to appease this so-called Imperial Council.  
  
The black-suited commander entered the lift. The door slammed shut instantly. He pressed the console: gunnery deck. Commander Tev fought the rebels at Yavin, Hoth and in countless skirmishes. Men had died under his command – in battle. But two THOUSAND men? By orders of an Imperial officer?? He straightened his cap and wiped his eye. The doors whisked open. The gunners looked at Tev.  
  
"Stand down. This battle's over!" he commanded.  
  
My academy roommate was a logistics officer aboard the Restoration ... 


	4. On the Brink

[Aboard the Star Destroyer, Relentless]  
  
Captain Silec waited for the admiral's hologram to appear.  
  
"Who is the commanding officer of the Relentless?!" Admiral Tenvor commanded.  
  
"I am." Silec declared.  
  
"Did you not receive our orders to await our arrival on the Tatooine system!"  
  
"I felt action was called for to prevent the ship's seizure by mutineers ..."  
  
"Who are you to determine the fate of 2,000 of the Emperor's soldiers?"  
  
Silec smirked. "The Emperor is dead. Their lives are ours to command now."  
  
"As is YOUR life, Captain!" Tenvor retorted.  
  
Silec cursed. His impulsive reactions may have jeopardized his plans. He hadn't heard of this 'Admiral' Tenvor. Perhaps he received a field commission. With the sorry state of the Imperial Navy, many inadequate officers were thrust into leadership roles they did not deserve. I, though, earned my rank in battle. In the Calamari Campaigns. I must be a marked man ... now that Admiral Ackbar has routed our fleet.  
  
"Sir?" an officer interrupted, "a shuttle craft is arriving!" Silec walked to the communications station.  
  
"Imperial shuttle, Inflictor, requests permission to land," the shuttle pilot crackled over the speakers.  
  
"We will grant entry once we have confirmed the status of your security codes!" the dock controller insisted.  
  
Then a face appears on the monitor. The victor of the Battle of Hoth. "Is this enough confirmation for you?" Veers snarled.  
  
"Uhhh, General Veers?!" The controller quickly tapped the console. "Permission to dock, shuttle Inflictor."  
  
Veers? Damn. Silec, two commanders and a dozen stormtroopers took the lift to the docking bay.  
  
The junior officers and technicians on the bridge traded worried glances at each other. Somebody's going to get in trouble ...  
  
Docking alarms honked throughout the corridors as the shuttle descended on the dock.  
  
The boarding ramp descended. General Veers, two stormtrooper commanders, a TIE fighter officer and about a dozen snowtroopers marched towards Silec's greeting party.  
  
"Welcome, General!" Silec muttered. "Any further news from Endor?"  
  
"To the bridge!" Veers ordered and brushed past Silec.  
  
On the bridge, Veers looked around the stations. He was looking for something.  
  
A radar controller, barely out of the Academy, almost jumped out of his seat when Veers tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Controller, do your scanners detect any vessels approaching us in this sector??"  
  
The controller looked at his monitor. "None, sir. The Imperial vessels are still in Tatooine. No other vessels in our sector."  
  
"Good, we're safe for now." Veers returned to the officers on the bridge. His worst fear was an ambush. Or running into Admiral Ackar's victorious fleet.  
  
"Why did you destroy the Restoration? The weapons cargo alone could have armed half a battalion of stormtroopers?" Veers demanded.  
  
"The tide was turning. I could not risk ... the ship falling into the hands of the mutineers!"  
  
"And you felt the crew of the Vindicator was not up to the task of accomplishing this successfully?!"  
  
"I took the initiative to ..." Silec began.  
  
"Initiative?!" Veers replied. He looked at the scattered debris of the Restoration. He glared directly into Silec's eyes.  
  
"You, an Imperial captain ... responsible for thousands of officers, troops and technicians ... took the authority to sentence 2,000 of the Restoration's crew to their destruction??"  
  
"Yes, sir I did." Silec was unfazed. "For the Empire."  
  
Veers had brought the Vindicator here to do precisely that – if the ship fell to those renegade TIE pilots. But did it? All reports suggested that the crew resisted the takeover. If only those damned communications didn't go down ...  
  
"Your orders, Captain, were to remain with the fleet at the rendezvous point in Tatooine! The Empire was built on obedience. Now that the Emperor is dead, you owe your allegiance – and your command – to the provisional Imperial Council."  
  
"Moff Jerjerrod himself appointed me captain of the Relentless," Silec boasted.  
  
"Lord Vader appointed the general as commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army," one of Veers officers replied.  
  
Veers looked again at the debris outside. "There is a power vacuum in the fleet's hierarchy. Many Imperial planetary governors have either surrendered or made peace with the New Republic. The Navy is the foundation on which the Empire will rebuild. This will not pass if vessel captains presume to make decisions – without obeying the chain of command!"  
  
"Shall I arrest the captain ... and place the ship under the admiral's command?" the stormtrooper commander stated. He didn't like Silec and knew that the bold captain had crossed the line.  
  
Some of Silec's loyal troopers placed their hands on their blasters. Immediately, Veers' snowtroopers aimed their blasters at them. These were elite members of the Snowtrooper Corps, among the finest troops in the Imperial Army.  
  
Even Silec knew that a premature action now would certainly ruin everything he had planned. "Stand down!" he ordered. His stormtroopers and officers lowered their blasters.  
  
"You would fire on the Empire's most decorated officer?" one of Veers' intelligence officers demanded. "General, I recommend that we arrest the captain and senior bridge officers – and place the Relentless under the admiral's command!"  
  
"No." Veers ordered. This is exactly what the rebels want! Petty jealousies and schemes tore the Old Republic apart from within. They would surely do the same to the remaining Imperial Fleet.  
  
"If the ship Restoration did fall under the renegades' control, Silec did us a service." Veers saw that his bodyguard of snowtroopers still aimed their blasters. He waved his hand, compelling them to stand down.  
  
"The Relentless and its crew have served the Empire with distinction," Veers began, looking across at the faces of the bridge officers and crew. "It was the Relentless that led the way in the Calamari Campaigns, providing the army with valuable air support. The Imperial Council welcomes the Relentless and its crew to our armada!" The bridge crew cheered.  
  
Silec smiled. He had expected a prompt arrest and loss of his ship. The Imperial Navy must be desperate. With the addition of the Vindicator, this armada has only seven Star Destroyers. Still, this was far better than anyone had hoped when news of the Death Star's destruction reached the surviving forces.  
  
The crew dispersed to continue their work. Veers took Silec aside.  
  
"You disobeyed a direct order from Admiral Tenvor, the commander of the Imperial Fleet by authority of the Imperial Council. Tenvor has the confidence of the remaining Imperial hierarchy – and my personal support. By necessity, we require a provisional council to convey some stability to our troops. Without strong, loyal leadership, the rank-and-file will be set adrift. Defy another order from your superiors, and I will personally arrest you and your bridge officers, seize your ship and disperse your equipment to loyal forces who put the Empire's interests ahead of their own! If the Emperor were alive, you would already be in the cellblock. Bear that in mind."  
  
"Yes, General." Silec watched as Veers and his party left the bridge. In minutes, he saw the shuttle return to the Vindicator.  
  
He touched a bridge console. "TIE Interceptor squadron Epsilon. I want you on stand-by. Await my instructions."  
  
"Yes, Captain." The squadron commander replied. Battle-hardened and loyal, the Epsilon squadron was among the best in the Imperial Navy. They had scored many kills against the rebels' legendary Rogue Squadron in earlier skirmishes. If they were to be deployed, the commander thought, then the captain was anticipating a vicious confrontation in the future ...  
  
[Imperial Star Destroyer, the Vindicator]  
  
Communications Officer Tass Nemi watched as Veers returned to the bridge. He whispered something in the Admiral's ear,then returned to the command station.  
  
She looked at her monitor. Strange. The signal she was intercepting was not an Imperial transmission. Civilian?! No, most of the civilian craft – traders, scientific ... even smugglers – evacutated the airspace. Too close to the planetary civil wars breaking out between rebel supporters and those still loyal to the Empire.  
  
"... this is Admiral Ackar ... vessels proceed to coordinates ..." Nemi gasped. "Rebel transmission intercepted!!" she yelped.  
  
Tenvor knelt down to the communications station. "Can you clear up the frequency?"  
  
Nemi pressed a few controls. Ackar's voice continued. "...rebel vessels proceed to coordinates ... Bespin ..."  
  
"We've lost the transmission, sir. Sorry, sir." Nemi apologized.  
  
"They must have scrambled it." Tenvor held his hand to his mouth. "Bespin? There's nothing but smugglers' dens there."  
  
"No!" Lieutenant Reksil blurted. "Cloud City! That scoundrel Calrissian was its baron administrator!"  
  
"The Alliance plans to seize the gas mines!" Tenvor concluded. "Status of the Imperial garrison there?!"  
  
Nemi checked her monitor. "Our last report stated that they were besieged ... there was an uprising after Endor... if they held on ..."  
  
"There may still be a chance to save it ..." Tenvor ran to consult Veers and others on the Council. Ackar has finally done it. Moving to seize strategic locations and resources. The gas mines were of great importance. Possession of Cloud City could tip the balance of power in their favour.  
  
"Rendezvous with the fleet at once." Reksil ordered the bridge crew. The Vindicator jumped to light speed. We are on the brink of our first major battle with the New Republic. 


	5. Tactical Assessment

[War chamber, Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger]  
  
Captain Mitan looked at the multitude of officers and divisional commanders in the chamber. About a dozen ship captains, lieutenants (obviously last minute replacements for fallen superiors), an unnerving number of Imperial intelligence commanders, plus the commanders of the armoured, gunnery, stormtrooper, scout, technical and TIE fighter corps. The survival of the Imperial forces would depend on their competence ... and loyalty. The bickering and scheming had already begun.  
  
"I say we counterattack ... now! Strike Mon Mothma's armada while they're still licking their wounds!" one TIE fighter commander demanded.  
  
"We should rally behind our strongest assets: those governors still loyal to the Empire. Establish a viable base of operations!" another intelligence commander insisted.  
  
"We should complete the Emperor's wishes and destroy Luke Skywalker. The Rebellion will not stand without him!" a recently-promoted gunnery vessel captain hoped.  
  
A vain hope, Mitan concluded. You're referring to the rebellion as if it hadn't just defeated Lord Vader and the Death Star.  
  
"What is our most recent estimate of strength, Captain?" inquired the Light Armoured divisional commander. Many officers huddled around the table to listen.  
  
"I'll begin with capital ships: the Star Destroyers. We have seven. The Vindicator is currently the flagship, commanded by recently appointed Admiral Tenvor. He is your new fleet admiral." Some officer openly groaned – perhaps hoping that the honour of fleet admiral would fall on them instead.  
  
"The Relentless, led by Captain Silec. My ship, the Avenger. Plus, the Repulse, the Tyrant, the Nemesis and the Eradicator." He looked at a visibly exhausted lieutenant to the rear of the chamber. "Lieutenant, you're with the Repulse? Please repeat what you told me earlier ... for the benefit of those just arriving."  
  
Lieutenant Sorris rubbed the bruise on his forehead. "The Repulse received the call for reinforcements from the Executor. Then we lost the transmission. We received word from a TIE fighter that the day was lost. Our captain immediately notified the Alliance that he wished to surrender. Our crew was already depleted. Several decks had been obliterated by intense cannon fire. We narrowly escaped a well-armed, Rebel-led Corellian fleet. Our captain had the support of two battalions of stormtroopers ..." The lieutenant caught his breath. No one spoke a word.  
  
He continued. "I and others loyal to the Navy resisted the surrender. The firefight was ... we sustained many losses. They seized several shuttle and carrier craft and fled for an Outer Rim system – supposedly to make contact with the Alliance."  
  
"How many men joined your captain?"  
  
"One-third of the crew. 12,000 in total, including the captain and several bridge officers."  
  
"Status of the Repulse?"  
  
Lieutenant Sorris coughed. "A little over 18,000 left. Our TIE squadrons are intact. We wish to remain with your armada. I realize that we are in poor shape: few officers, limited experience. Please don't send us away!" He turned around, not realizing General Veers and Admiral Tenvor were already there in the chamber.  
  
Veers asked the question none wanted to hear. "Casualties?"  
  
Sorris wiped his brow. "After the battle with the Corellians, we lost 4,000 troops and crew. Another ... 6,000 ... repelling the captain's insurrection."  
  
"Vile mutiny!" the officers cried.  
  
"Yes," Tenvor looked at Captain Silec as he arrived in the chamber. "Mutiny, indeed."  
  
"You survived a battle with a Corellian fleet and successfully defended your starship against its own captain!" Veers exclaimed. "By authority of the Imperial Council, I grant you the field commission of captain." The room exploded in applause.  
  
Tenvor presented Sorris with a new, pressed uniform and rank insignia. "We won't detain you any longer, Captain Sorris. See to your crew. Repair your Star Destroyer. I will notify you of new developments." The new captain beamed, bowed in salute and left for the Repulse.  
  
All heads turned to General Veers.  
  
"I trust you have already read my communique. Status of your ships and troop strength."  
  
Each officer and commander reported. All pledged loyalty to the provisional Imperial Council. But with depleted troops, vessels and differing opinions on the next course of action, this armada posed no immediate danger to the New Republic. That will have to change. Soon.  
  
Veers looked at some of the intelligence commanders, mumbling to their superiors. Plotting, it seemed.  
  
"Commander Burvik is your ranking intelligence officer?" Veers asked Tenvor.  
  
"Yes, General." Tenvor replied.  
  
"And he is loyal to the Empire?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Instruct him to retrieve whatever personnel data the Executor relayed to us just before it exploded." Veers looked across at the seemingly impressive cohort of Imperial leaders. How many of you can I trust? How many of you are merely treading water until the Alliance offers you a better deal?  
  
He looked at the monitors, detailing the status of the fleet. The Repulse had endured tremendous damage. It would not be battle ready for weeks. It didn't matter. Its crew proved their worth – gave their lives – because they believed. Yes, -- believed – in the Empire. In order.  
  
It is for soldiers like them that I will keep a tight rein on the intrigues that often interfered with the Empire's conquests in the pasts. Vainglorious governors who attempted to carve personal fiefdoms in the galaxy, purchasing their power with the lives of Imperial troops. My troops. Ambitious captains who recklessly sought wealth, influence and authority – wasting the lives of their pilots and battalions on pointless adventures.  
  
Veers looked at the eyes of the TIE and stormtrooper commanders. I know what you fear. Some of these fools may waste the lives of your men. That will not happen. Not while I am still a general.  
  
"Sir?" Captain Mitan asked.  
  
"We shall discuss a recent development ... the Alliance's interest in the Bespin galaxy .." Veers began. We need a course of action soon. Or more captains may choose a fate in the New Republic's ranks.  
  
[Aboard Admiral Ackbar's flagship]  
  
The Rebel forces were tense. Despite the destruction of the Death Star and the Emperor, they were still receiving troubling reports. Some Imperial governors choosing to fight instead of surrendering. The Corellian fleet's encounter with a Star Destroyer. At least Coruscant was under Alliance control now.  
  
"So we are agreed?" Ackbar asked the squadron commanders and generals.  
  
"Yes," General Madine replied, "we plan several strategic attacks at once. We can't allow the remnants of the Imperial Navy regroup for a counterattack." Several nods of approval in the crowd.  
  
Ackbar scratched his head. "My only fear is that we may weaken the strength of our main fleet, if we divert too many ships across the galaxy."  
  
General Lando Calrissian stepped forward. "The Empire's troops are on the run. What they'll need are supplies: for their ships, for their troops. Their ships must be in poor shape, after the pasting we gave them in Endor! But we can't be too confident. We have reports that several Imperial battlecraft – carriers, gunships, even some Star Destroyers – were in Outer Rim systems when the Empire collapsed."  
  
"Your suggestions?" Madine wondered.  
  
"Two strategic strikes." Lando pressed a button, revealing a holographic image of the galaxy. "A show of force: here at the Sienar Fleet Systems shipyards. They have a main facility just outside Corellian space. We have to disable their ability to repair and upgrade their ships ... and prevent them from building new ones. And we must take Bespin back. It's still in Imperial hands. The Tibanna gas mines are a critical source for blaster power. Take away their ability to rearm ..."  
  
"... and the Imperial forces would be as harmless as a toothless Wampa." Ackbar declared. "General Calrissian ... assemble your attack squadron. The main fleet will deploy to the rendezvous near the Corellian system. May the Force be with you."  
  
The commanders and pilots dispersed. Lando walked over to Wedge Antilles, commander of Rogue Squadron.  
  
"If you and your pilots are committed to another mission, I'll understand, but the recapture of Bespin is – important – to me. I feel partly responsible for their predicament ..."  
  
Wedge interrupted. "Lord Vader forced your hand. Anyway, that's ancient history. You just destroyed the Death Star!"  
  
Lando grinned. "So will you join me? When we win ... I am going to throw the biggest party this galaxy has ever seen!"  
  
Wedge laughed. "You can count on Rogue Squadron ... just make sure I get an invitation to the big bash after!"  
  
Lando, Wedge and the pilots of Rogue Squadron departed from the main Alliance fleet. Destination: Bespin. 


	6. Rank-and-File

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: I decided to piece together the chain of command so far, since there are plenty of officers roaming around this story. I hope this simplifies it for you.]  
  
Imperial chain of command  
  
Provisional Imperial Council  
  
Loose association of high ranking Imperial military leaders formed to fill the leadership void left after the destruction of the Death Star and the Executor. This Council includes Admiral Tenvor and General Veers. Divisonal commanders of the various fleet and military corps also fall under their authority. At this point, no politicians ie – Imperial governors – are included. There is no one leader, but by virtue of his reputation and status among the rank-and-file, General Veers is considered the point-man.  
  
1 Star Destroyer captains  
  
The fleet consists of seven Star Destroyers:  
  
Vindicator, the provisional flagship: Admiral Tenvor. By order of the Imperial Council, fleet admiral  
  
Avenger: The renowned destroyer, led by recently promoted Captain Mitan  
  
Relentless: Star Destroyer involved in Calamari.campaigns, led by Captain Silec (changed his name because he's the son of the late Admiral Ozzel)  
  
Repulse: Survived battle with Corellian fleet and attempted insurrection, led by recently promoted Captain Sorris  
  
Tyrant: Was disabled by ion cannon fire "Our first catch of the day" ... etc. in Battle of Hoth.  
  
Nemesis, Eradicator: Two other destroyers that are part of the fleet  
  
About a dozen gunnery, transport/supply and non-combat vessels have also attached themselves to the fleet, plus 70-80 TIE fighters left without a home port/ship after Endor.  
  
2 Imperial intelligence  
  
Aboard the Vindicator:  
  
Commander Burvik, loyalist of Admiral Tenvor  
  
Lieutenant Reksil, loyalist of Admiral Tenvor and friend of Tass Nemi  
  
Aboard the Relentless:  
  
Commander Kosst, previously the ship's ranking intelligence officer, but is currently in the ship cellblock for defying the captain.  
  
3 The crew  
  
Communications Officer Tass Nemi, recent Imperial Academy graduate and among the first women permitted to serve on a Star Destroyer, the Vindicator  
  
I'm sure this list will grow. I am only mentioning the primary characters.  
  
Now for the story ...  
  
  
  
'Rank and File'  
  
[Mess hall, the Star Destroyer, Vindicator]  
  
Tass Nemi had been on corporate vessels before. They had luxurious dining lounges with panoramic windows. Live entertainment. Music. Laughter. Fun.  
  
An Imperial mess hall would have none of those frivolities. She saw nothing but row upon row of steel tables, chairs and an endless sea of grey, olive and black uniforms. And the occasional stormtrooper armour.  
  
She stared at her lunch rations. This certainly isn't fun, she thought. These rations were getting worse since the rebels cut their supply lines.  
  
Cheers erupted in the rear. She turned around. General Veers had stopped in to chat with some of his former soldiers. Then he left.  
  
"Generals and captains have their own dining rooms. I don't think the general will be trading war stories with you this time, Tass." Lieutenant Reksil sat in the chair across from her.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so." Nemi poked at her rations.  
  
"Why so down? Veers just breathed new life into the Empire ..."  
  
"What Empire?" Nemi complained, attracting some irritated glances from other tables. "The rebels have us on the run, Coruscant is in Alliance hands, Imperial troops are defecting and ..." She prodded her rations again. "... I have to eat this slop for the third time this week!!!"  
  
Reksil roared in laughter. "You're bored aren't you? It's not that much better for lower grade officers. If I could only be a Dantooine fly on the walls of the Vindicator war chamber right now ..."  
  
"They'd likely swat you," Nemi joked. Reksil had a point, though. The captains and generals were plotting the next phase of their strategy. There were so many options. Should we take a stand on a loyal Imperial planet? Do we recapture a strategic shipyard, thus ensuring the production of more ships? Do we rally the fleet for one last, desperate push against the Alliance fleet? She pouted. Not my problem. I'm just a raw communications officer.  
  
Suddenly, a steel table overturned. Everyone looked around. A group of grey uniformed troops – Imperial Army, Nemi guessed – were tangled in a minor brawl with a bunch of TIE pilots.  
  
"Traitors, all of you!!!" one army officer growled.  
  
"Our ship was destroyed! We had no option but to retreat!!" a TIE pilot protested.  
  
"You did have a choice," another army officer yelled, "fight to the death."  
  
"How dare you!" a naval crewman grumbled, "we lost our entire crew! How many has your Army division lost?!"  
  
Now a dozen army and navy men were involved in the melee. Lieutenant Reksil nodded at a group of stormtroopers, who immediately brandished their blasters and separated the two groups. The room fell silent.  
  
Reksil stood between the groups. "Both the Imperial Army and Navy have suffered tremendous losses. Even now, Imperial soldiers and pilots are fighting – and dying – for an Empire that no longer rules. Some may not have heard that the Emperor is already dead. They are placing their lives on the line ... while you rabble squabble over past losses! The choice is yours: serve the Imperial fleet here on the frontlines and restore order in the galaxy, or serve the Imperial forces in shame as part of a punishment battalion!"  
  
One TIE pilot removed his helmet. "On whose authority, lieutenant?! This Imperial Council?? Don't you get it? Nothing's gonna change. The Imperial elite are only looking after their own ... while we die by the thousands! If the admiral isn't careful ..."  
  
A stormtrooper was about to club the pilot with his rifle, but Reksil held his hand up stop him. "Are you suggesting ... mutiny, pilot? Are you telling me ... and the rest of your compatriots ... that your interests outweigh those of thousands in this fleet? If you are, I can hand your squadron over to someone who is willing to serve!"  
  
"No, sir," the TIE pilot answered, "I am loyal to the Empire. Punish me if you must, but do not punish my men. If you will let this incident pass, I can ensure you that my squadron will serve the admiral with distinction."  
  
The quarrelling men dusted off their uniforms. Reksil nodded at the stormtroopers, who slowly dispersed. "I appreciate your honesty, even though you were dangerously close to treason." He looked at the instigators. "Pick another fight again, and you can expect no mercy."  
  
He walked over to the pilot. "Name, rank and squadron?"  
  
"Squadron officer Vermic, TIE fighter squadron Beta ... of the Executor."  
  
The chatter abruptly hushed to silence again. Nemi weaved through the crowd. "I'm sorry for your losses, officer. We all knew someone aboard the flagship." She patted his shoulder in sympathy. Vermic nodded briefly, then departed with the rest of his TIE pilots amid chants of 'Long live the Empire'.  
  
A loud honk rang through the hall. "This is Admiral Tenvor. All crew report to stations." Lunch would have to wait for later.  
  
Nemi adjusted her hat. Stormtroopers marched to their decks. A pair of TIE pilots jogged toward the fighter docks. Another officer barked some orders at a pair of technicians. A mouse droid bumped into her boot.  
  
"Sorry, little fella, the command centre is that way." The mouse droid reversed and sped away.  
  
"Tass!" Reksil hollered from a lift. "The fleet's deploying! Keep your eyes and ears open!" The lift door slammed shut.  
  
Finally, some real action, she beamed. She hopped into another lift with two mouse droids and a protocol droid.  
  
"Deck, communications officer?" the droid inquired.  
  
"Bridge." Nemi stated. She could barely contain her excitement.  
  
[War chamber, the Star Destroyer Avenger]  
  
Veers nodded. It would be too risky to send an invasion force to occupy the Bespin system. If the rebel fleet was indeed going to reclaim Cloud City, this paltry Imperial fleet could not repel a sustained attack.  
  
But he would send reinforcements.  
  
"The Avenger alone will travel to the Bespin system. I shall remain aboard the Avenger to oversee the operation. Captain Mitan will deploy an insertion group to ascertain the situation on Cloud City. We will hold Bespin, if possible."  
  
"And the rest of the fleet?" another officer asked.  
  
"Admiral Tenvor and the remainder of the fleet will proceed to the Sienar Fleet Systems shipyard near Corellia. The ships will defend the yards against rebel seizures." Veers glared at each of the Star Destroyer captains, including Captain Silec. "You are permitted to engage the Rebel fleet, but you must not pursue ... I repeat ... must not pursue the fleet. We lack the resources at present to think of capturing Rebel vessels. My opinion is that the defense of the shipyards is vital if we are to repair our ships – or build new ones."  
  
Some of the Army officers grumbled. Veers nodded again. "I realize that our troopers' supplies of blaster power are running low. The Rebels will undoubtedly have us fighting battles on multiple fronts. I hear your concerns. As an AT-AT commander, you have my word that the Imperial Army will have its supplies in the near future. You have your orders, gentlemen." The officers left for their ships.  
  
"Captain Mitan?"  
  
"Yes, General."  
  
"Assemble a crack squad of your best troops, intelligence officers and pilots. Urban warfare requires cunning. We want to give the Imperial garrison on Bespin a fighting chance." Mitan saluted, then returned to the bridge.  
  
Veers tapped the holographic console. "This is Admiral Tenvor. General?"  
  
"Be wary of the other captains. Assess their strengths and weaknesses. Even some members of your own crew. Vigilance, admiral, is an on-going responsibility. I want you to know that you have my full confidence. As for the Relentless ..."  
  
Admiral Tenvor understood. "... if he attempts another foolhardy stunt, I will arrest him – that I can assure you. Tenvor out." The admiral's hologram faded.  
  
Veers was uncomfortable with these fleet deployments. It would have been safer to remain in Tatooine and wait for more vessels to arrive. If there were any left to arrive. Fortune favours the brave, however, and the rank and file want action ... something to fill their hours. And distract them from any though of mutiny.  
  
Cloud City was engaged in an intense, messy firefight between the Imperial garrison and the local pro-Alliance militias. If the troops want action, they shall soon have it.  
  
[Shuttle docking bay, the Avenger]  
  
Lieutenant Mira Knessel worked tirelessly for her vessel, the gunnery ship Grenadier. It was a smaller ship: barely 100 crew in total. They enforced Imperial trade edicts against smugglers along the Kessel space route. She filed regular reports about vessel seizures, schemes between warring planets and unusual activities by Bothan traders. Spies who managed to provide the Rebels with crucial plans for the second Death Star.  
  
The Emperor was enraged that the plans slipped through the Imperial dragnet. I could have been dismissed ... or worse ... if not for the protection of Admiral Piett, my mentor. And friend.  
  
"The noble houses of the Galactic Empire will surely be the death of us all," Piett had confessed to her during some long-ago Imperial conference on Coruscant. "The future of the Empire lies in the professional officer. Officers like you. Be careful, Lieutenant. Use what you have learned. Rely on your instincts." Then one last, cryptic remark before taking command of the Executor: "The Emperor cannot rule forever. Your service is to the Empire, not its potentates and lords."  
  
"The Emperor is dead," her helmsman told her, as frantic transmissions after the Battle of Endor flooded their console.  
  
"And what of the flagship?" Knessel asked. The helmsman's blank look told her what she feared.  
  
Piett, who – as a stormtrooper squadron commander – rescued her family from pirates. Piett, the captain who advised her on a new career in the Imperial Navy. Piett, the admiral who cried desperately to intensify forward firepower, before the Rebellion snuffed out his light forever in a hideous explosion above Endor.  
  
"Admiral Piett, the Executor and its crew ... are lost," she reported clinically to her crew that day. In moments, she would leave the bridge, enter an empty cargo bay, lock the door ... and sob.  
  
She held a moment of silence the next day -- to allow her crew to mourn for lost comrades. And prepare for the fight to come.  
  
That day was today. Knessel wrapped her blonde hair into a bun. She adjusted the black uniform of the dreaded Imperial Intelligence Corps. Some of the enlisted troops detested intelligence officers. Others merely detested her gender. She endured both. But to what end?  
  
She would not look out the window. Out there in space, Admiral Piett, my mentor, died in defense of the Empire.  
  
Captain Mitan's ship, the legendary Avenger, offered her vessel a safe harbour as the New Republic's X-Wing squadrons moved to intercept stray Imperial vessels.  
  
Lieutenant Knessel volunteered to lead the insertion party on Cloud City. The Imperial garrison was low on firepower and would surely fall by week's end. Despite the reservations of some of the Avenger's military officers (objecting to any involvement of the intelligence corps), Mitan granted her request.  
  
"You have two squadrons of stormtroopers. About 300. Retake the main spaceport. Then I will land the remainder of the force. That should raise your numbers to 800 troopers. Then destroy the ion cannon defenses, which will be heavily defended. The Avenger cannot enter orbit if those cannons are still online! Only then will I send the Avenger into Bespin space to commence an aerial bombardment, if there is still resistance. Good luck, lieutenant."  
  
Mitan's hologram faded. Knessel stepped into the main hangar. One Imperial shuttle and one transport vessel awaited her – as well as 300 of the Avenger's best stormtroopers. Admiral Piett will not die in vain. Not after this day.  
  
"You have your orders. Long live the Empire!" she proclaimed. The troops rushed into their vessels. Knessel took one last glance at the hanger, then ascended the Imperial shuttle. By day's end, Cloud City would be in Imperial hands again, she pledged ... 


	7. Skirmish

[Cloud City, industrial suburb]  
  
Lieutenant Knessel descended from the Imperial shuttle. Her party arrived in a remote industrial sector of the city. In the distance, they could hear blaster and cannon fire. Cloud cars were dropping concussion bombs on the main civic building. That must be where the remaining Imperial garrison was making its stand, she thought.  
  
"TK-4201, keep your squadron out of sight until my signal. Keep your comlinks open! It seems the main spaceport is already in the hands of Bespin partisans, but if we can recapture the secondary spaceport to the west of us ... that should provide a safe spot for more Imperial landings."  
  
"Yes, Lieutenant." The stormtroopers marched quietly to a vacant hangar. Knessel and her squadron began the long trek to Cloud City's secondary spaceport. A smaller port, it would have been used for deliveries and trans- planetary freighters. If we could only have two or three more Imperial squadrons here, the city could be ours, she imagined.  
  
The firefight in the centre of the city remained intense. Plumes of smoke rose from the main civic building where the Baron Administrator once conducted his affairs. Until the fall of the Empire, it housed the Imperial commandant and a garrison of troops. The entire system feared that any resistance would force the Empire to annex the system completely.  
  
The destruction of the Death Star inspired them with other ideas.  
  
"The partisans have already seized many of the planetary defenses -- shield generators and cannons – under their control. We must capture that spaceport!" Knessel drew her blaster. The squadron was approaching an intersection where a rusted walkway extended across the square.  
  
She heard a shout. A pair of stormtroopers had been squashed by a hulking piece of mining equipment. Stormtroopers began firing into the sky. Knessel looked up towards the walkway.  
  
Ughnaughts! The pig-faced workers of Bespin were hurling equipment, metal blocks and rods at the stormtroopers. Even as the squadron's accurate blasts toppled several of the vermin, dozens more flooded the walkway and pelted them with any number of metal scraps.  
  
This is ridiculous! I'm not going to have a fiasco like that Ewok victory on Hoth. Knessel opened a trooper's backpack, grabbed a thermal detonator and set the timer.  
  
"All troops, proceed to that storage building!" As the stormtroopers fled, Knessel flung the thermal detonator towards the walkway. Then she ran.  
  
TK-7221, the squadron officer, was holding open the door, yelling at her to hurry up. The explosion propelled her to the ground. Two stormtroopers dragged her into the building. She caught a glimpse of what remained in the square. The walkway had completely collapsed, except for shards of metal that hung precariously from the opposite building. Scores of Ughnaught bodies lay strewn across the square.  
  
Knessel coughed as the debris and smoke enveloped the surrounding streets. The ever-present blaster fire was coming closer.  
  
A stormtrooper pointed towards another bridge. Dozens of Bespin security personnel, armed civilians and a handful of white-helmeted Rebel troopers ran towards them. Backed by orders to hold Cloud City until the arrival of the Alliance forces, they intended to hold the spaceport at all costs.  
  
"Alliance soldiers!" Knessel cursed. She had hoped that she was merely facing a lightly armed, poorly-led partisan militia. The presence of professional Rebel soldiers – among them a few deserters from the Imperial Army – told her that they were expecting a Rebel force to support their uprising.  
  
The stormtroopers instinctively formed two lines. Those troops with heavy rifles and grenade launchers formed the first line, providing the bulk of the squadron with potent artillery fire. In the rear, the remainder of the regular troops aimed their E-11 blasters.  
  
"Fire!" Knessel ordered. Bolts of lasers criss-crossed the street. The squadron was pinned between the building to the rear and the charging resistance fighters.  
  
Many Bespin guards fired, but missed their mark. The stormtroopers would not miss. Screams soon filled the street. The civilian fighters were the first to retreat. The surviving Bespin guards – unaccustomed to the disciplined fighting of Imperial soldiers – formed a defensive line. Their mistake.  
  
A stormtrooper fired a concussion grenade from his rifle. It landed in the middle of the Bespin line, incinerating dozens of guards. Only the Rebel soldiers wisely took cover behind building walls and burnt speeder hulls. One by one they retreated across the bridge, as their comrades hurled grenades at the front lines.  
  
One grenade landed mere feet from Knessel. TK-7221 jumped onto the grenade. The explosion created a hideous crater in his armour. Some troopers hesitated.  
  
Knessel glared at them. "They're fleeing! Keep up the pursuit. We must take that port!!" TK-7222 took command of the squadron. Troopers provided flanking fire as the squadron dashed towards the bridge.  
  
"Lieutenant ... take the city ..." TK-7221 coughed. "For the Imperial Army."  
  
Knessel clutched his glove. "By nightfall, the Imperial Insignia will fly atop Cloud City." TK-7221 gasped, then died. He knew his duty. I still have mine. She took his blaster and rejoined her squadron. If we don't retake this spaceport, we may never get out of here alive.  
  
[Bridge, the Avenger]  
  
The communications officer stood up. "Captain Mitan! I think I may have a Rebel transmission!"  
  
Mitan and Veers hurried to the station. It was an open communication. The rebels weren't even trying to scramble the signals.  
  
"This is a general hail from the Alliance fleet. We are notifying all remaining Imperial vessels in this sector to surrender yourselves to the nearest Alliance planetary governor. The war is over. If you choose to resist, Alliance vessels have strict orders to pursue, capture or destroy your ship. Surrender and you will be spared."  
  
"It's a repeating message. Ackbar's trying to demoralize the Imperial fleet." Veers scowled. Quite cunning, he thought. Propaganda to weaken the resolve of our forces. "Block that message! I don't want the Rebels to flood our communication lines with that drivel!"  
  
Mitan interrupted. "General? It's another hail."  
  
General Lando Calrissian appeared on the monitor. "Imperial destroyer. Stay out of Bespin space. This system is now under Alliance protection."  
  
Veers frowned. "This is General Veers, commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army. Bespin is under Imperial jurisdiction. We do not recognize the authority of your petty Alliance. We are merely – supervising – a police action on Cloud City. I order you to withdraw at once!"  
  
Lando laughed. "Veers! Your Emperor is dead. This isn't Hoth. You can't simply brush away the Alliance this time!! I intend to take Bespin back ... without your permission. Recall your troops from Cloud City now, or I'll hunt them down myself."  
  
Veers shut down the communications channel. Damn! The Rebellion is now aware of our activities in this sector.  
  
"Is that THE Lando Calrissian? Of the battle of Tanaab?! The battle of Endor??" a junior officer blurted.  
  
"Captain?" Veers needed to know the strength of the Rebels' forces. Now.  
  
Mitan checked the long range scanners. "It's not a ruse. Two Rebel frigates and several starfighter squadrons have just entered hyperspace and will be in orbit around Bespin in about five minutes!"  
  
"We cannot engage Calrissian. It's not merely a scouting patrol. He means to liberate Bespin! To confront a well-armed Rebel assault fleet would be foolish."  
  
"And the landing party on Cloud City?" Mitan wondered.  
  
"Perhaps we can provide them with aerial support. That is your arena, Captain."  
  
"Right." Mitan tapped the bridge console. "TIE bomber squadron Alpha. Proceed to Cloud City."  
  
The TIE bomber squadron screeched out of their hangars and into space. If we can't claim Bespin, Mitan scoffed, the Imperial Navy will turn its precious city into a wasteland.  
  
If Lieutenant Knessel could only capture one spaceport, we could turn the tables. If the city fell under Imperial control, Calrissian would have no choice but to accept our possession of Bespin. The city's ion cannons could keep the Rebels at bay until the Imperial armada arrived to chase them out of the system.  
  
"Rebel fleet now in Bespin! Rebel fleet in Bespin!" a bridge officer declared.  
  
Come on, Knessel, hang on, Mitan hoped. The odds were certainly turning against her.  
  
[Rebel command frigate, Resolution]  
  
Great, Lando thought, an Imperial Star Destroyer. One hyperspace jump away from Bespin.  
  
Admiral Ackbar's hologram appeared. "Report, General."  
  
"Admiral, advise the fleet that there is Imperial activity in this sector. Things could get toasty if the Imperial Navy's survivors decide to ignore our warnings and resist us."  
  
"I shall hold the fleet here." Ackbar suggested. "We are about three hours away from the Corellian sector. We could send you supporting vessels."  
  
"I suggest that the fleet continue on its present course. For all we know, the Empire may be setting up the fleet for an ambush. Most of Bespin is in Rebel hands. We just need to dislodge the Imperial garrison from Cloud City."  
  
"Acknowledged. But if we do not hear from you by day's end, I will direct the fleet to return to Bespin." Ackbar's hologram faded.  
  
Lando tapped the bridge console. "Rogue Leader. You have an hour. I've notified our people on Cloud City to evacuate the defenses when you begin your attack run."  
  
"Copy that, General, Rogue Leader out." Wedge was confident. He had a half a dozen squadrons of X-Wing fighters, A-Wings and Y-Wings behind him.  
  
Wedge tapped his comlink. "Squadron leaders, you have your orders. May the Force be with you."  
  
Within minutes, they would be over Cloud City. The Imperial troops were in for a nasty surprise. 


	8. Engage the Enemy

[Spaceport, Cloud City]  
  
Lieutenant Knessel wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. The combined Bespin/Rebel fighters were slowly withdrawing from the spaceport. As their frontline provided covering fire, the rearguard sprinted to the planetary defense compound. It was heavily guarded. She could tell because, atop the ramparts, Rebel gunners were showering her troops with laser fire.  
  
The rebel forces suffered more losses, but the bulk of the force managed to run to the relative security of the defense compound.  
  
"Where are the grenadier troops?" she ordered. Her party now crouched behind the burning hulls of grounded cloud cars. Half a dozen stormtroopers with concussion grenade rifles knelt beside her.  
  
"Take out those gunners, or we're done for!"  
  
While one company of troops drew the gunners' fire, the grenadiers moved into position. "Fire!" Several grenades launched into the Bespin sky, then landed onto the compound ramparts. After a few explosions, the gunners were finally silenced.  
  
Knessel picked up her comlink. "Avenger, do you copy. We have the spaceport."  
  
"This is General Veers. Report, lieutenant."  
  
"We have captured a spaceport in Cloud City's industrial sector. Awaiting further reinforcements."  
  
Veers glanced at Captain Mitan, who promptly shook his head. It would be too risky to deploy another landing party now. "I regret that your situation has become more dismal, lieutenant. A Rebel assault fleet has entered orbit around Bespin – with undoubtedly more Rebel reinforcements. The best that we can do is a TIE bomber raid. If you have a target in mind, we can send the bombers in. If they evade the Rebel ships, that is. They'll have one – maybe two – attack runs before the Rebel starfighters try to intercept them."  
  
Knessel placed a tracer chip on the defense compound. "We cannot capture the ion cannons until we get into the defense compound. A couple of TIE bomber attacks at this location should weaken the armour shielding enough for a breach."  
  
"Very well, lieutenant. You must get those cannons offline, or the Avenger will not be able to enter orbit. That would mean ..."  
  
"... the landing party would be trapped here. I understand, General. Knessel out."  
  
Her squadron gathered around her. "Our priority is to get those ion cannons offline. The Rebel fleet has blockaded the planet. We cannot expect reinforcements at this time, but the Avenger is sending in a TIE bomber squadron. I've instructed TK-4201's squadron to begin a diversionary attack on the main civic building. Hopefully, that will draw attention away from our mission here."  
  
Knessel did not like her prospects. The attack on the main civic building was extremely dangerous. The majority of the Rebels' forces were concentrated there. They knew that the capture of the Imperial garrison would effectively end the Empire's control over the planet. The fighting would be intense. She would have relished the battle, but she had her orders.  
  
The ion cannons must be disabled, or Bespin may well be our last battle.  
  
[Cellblock 1981, the Relentless]  
  
Commander Kosst paced around his room. He had been in isolation for days. He once thought mess hall food was bad. After nearly a week of cellblock food, he had to revise that conclusion.  
  
"Dinner." The door whisked open and a stormtrooper handed Kosst his meal. "I believe you have dessert today, Commander." The door closed shut again.  
  
Dessert? Kosst opened his plate. The same meal as yesterday. But there was Corellian pudding. On the spoon was a coin-sized disc.  
  
He clicked the disc. A small hologram appeared. "Hello, Commander. I trust you are well. This is a short-term holographic message. It will disintegrate at the end of the message. I am Colonel Virett of the Imperial Sandtrooper Corps. We have two battalions aboard the Relentless. The troops are loyal to me personally. I've spoken with members of the Intelligence corps and one or two TIE squadron commanders. Regrettably, most of the naval crew is loyal to Captain Silec. But that could change. I want to assure you that, when that change does occur, we will make our move. Know that you have allies aboard this vessel."  
  
The hologram faded. Kosst dropped the disc, which promptly evaporated in a puff of smoke. That fool Silec is a danger to everyone on this ship. And a threat to the stability of the Imperial fleet. Someone has to warn the Admiral. Soon.  
  
[Above Bespin]  
  
Wedge checked his long-range scanners. Alarms were ringing in his cockpit. TIE bombers!! They were short range bombers. That could only mean an Imperial ship was somewhere in this sector.  
  
"Gold leader. A squadron of TIE bombers is about to enter the Bespin system. Prepare to intercept."  
  
"Copy that, Rogue leader." A dozen A-Wings roared towards TIE bomber squadron Alpha.  
  
Wedge tapped his console. "Bomber squadron. This is Wedge Antilles of the Rebel fleet. Power down your engines and prepare to surrender. This is your last warning. Continue on this course and we will be forced to engage."  
  
"This is TIE bomber squadron Alpha. We have orders to suppress an insurrection on Cloud City. Withdraw your squadrons." One TIE bomber disengaged from the main squadron and fired on a stray Y-Wing.  
  
The Y-Wing tried to evade the TIE bomber. "This is Green 2. I can't shake him." The TIE bomber caught the Y-Wing in his sights and fired. The vessel exploded. The opening shot of the battle.  
  
They had their warning, Wedge grimaced. "Gold leader, Green leader, keep those bombers away from the frigates. Rogue Squadron, prepare to intercept – and destroy." A score of X-Wings zoomed towards their prey. If the Imperial Navy wanted to pick a fight with the Rebel Fleet, Rogue Squadron would give them one to remember.  
  
[Bridge, the Avenger]  
  
A radar controller reported to Captain Mitan. "Sir, our bombers have engaged the Rebel starfighters. Should we direct them to attack the frigates?"  
  
"No. Their mission is to provide aerial support for the landing party. I don't want them entangled in a fruitless skirmish with the Rebel fleet!!"  
  
Mitan climbed down into the communications section. "TIE bomber squadron Alpha. Your orders are to proceed directly to Cloud City and commence an aerial bombardment of the defense compound."  
  
"Acknowledged. Squadron Alpha, proceed to target." Mitan watched the radar. The bombers were disengaging – with dozens of rebel starfighters close behind them.  
  
Mitan glanced at Veers. "If the bombers succeed, the landing party can disable the ion cannons. If not, they and the TIE bombers are trapped."  
  
General Veers clenched his fist. Should I sacrifice the landing party and the bombers and make a hasty retreat to the Imperial armada? No. The battle is not lost. The landing party had excellent troops. And Lieutenant Knessel was a proven officer, hand-picked by Admiral Piett. Soldiers were disposable during the heady days of the Emperor's reign.  
  
They are not disposable now.  
  
"I think we're agreed on our next course of action, Captain."  
  
Mitan beamed. "Alert all commands. Set co-ordinates to Bespin." He noticed Veers heading for the lift.  
  
"General?"  
  
Veers put on his helmet. "I promised the landing party some reinforcements. They shall have them!" He tapped the lift console: transport docking bay.  
  
The stormtroopers were packing away their equipment when Veers arrived.  
  
"Get back on that transport! Your friends on Bespin are expecting you!!"  
  
"Will you be accompanying the landing party, General?" an officer inquired.  
  
"Someone's going to have to show you how to deal with Rebel scum," Veers remarked, to the cheers of the squadron.  
  
The Rebels picked a terrible day to challenge the Imperial Army. 


	9. Hold the Line

[The skies above Cloud City]  
  
"Commander!" the pilot on his left wing was frantic. "Those X-Wings are closing in on us!"  
  
"Stay in formation!" TIE bomber squadron Alpha's commander barked over the comlink. He heard the blast of X-Wing laser cannons. His left flank was now exposed, as a ball of smoke and flame indicated that the Rogue Squadron had made another kill.  
  
Another TIE bomber joined in the formation. Two more explosions in the sky. An A-Wing and a TIE bomber had collided.  
  
The commander checked the coordinates hologram. The defense compound was approaching. "Prepare for torpedo launch." The torpedo bay doors opened below each of the three bombers in formation. "Lieutenant Knessel, we have commenced our attack run. Take your troops to cover."  
  
"Acknowledged." Knessel replied. The commander could now see the defense compound. The landing party had taken cover behind the burning hulls of cloud cars.  
  
"On my mark. Fire!" Several torpedoes rained onto the heavily shielded defense compound. The first few torpedoes had little effect, but the subsequent bombardment caused the blast doors to crumple and crack.  
  
Success! Knessel instructed her grenadier troopers to plant charges in the breach. They ducked as the explosion caved in the rest of the entrance. As the troops flooded into the compound, Knessel waved in gratitude to the TIE bombers.  
  
"Bomber squadron Alpha requesting further orders, Avenger" the commander inquired.  
  
"Return to the ship. Engage those starfighters only in self-defense. You have done your duty for now. The Avenger will be there momentarily."  
  
"Alpha squadron out." The commander and his pilots broke formation and began their flight from Bespin airspace.  
  
Rogue Squadron had other ideas. If those bombers return, Wedge thought, we'd have to fight them again.  
  
"All squadrons. Intercept and destroy!" Dozens of A-Wings and X-Wings swarmed the retreating bombers.  
  
The commander pulled up his bomber. "All pilots! Do not engage the enemy. We cannot match their speed! You have your orders." Suddenly the Avenger appeared out of hyperspace.  
  
The rebel starfighters were already picking off stragglers from the bomber squadron. The commander spun his bomber over the group of X-Wings and A- Wings.  
  
"Rogue 3, where did the lead bomber go?" Wedge demanded.  
  
"Rogue 3 here. He slipped out of radar." Then he looked up. Oh no! The bomber was zooming fast towards them. "Rogue Squadron, evasive action!"  
  
The bomber commander waited for the last of his squadron to escape, then set loose his entire hold of torpedoes.  
  
"Evasive action, Rogue and Gold squadrons!" Wedge shrieked. Many of the fighters streaked away in all directions, but dozens of them did not react in time. The torpedoes soon turned the airspace into a hailstorm of sparks, debris and smoke.  
  
Wedge powered his engines and pursued the TIE bomber commander. Those A- Wing and X-Wing fighter pilots did not die in vain, he pledged. May the Force be with us. The TIE bomber tried to avoid his targeting range, but Wedge persisted. The commander checked his radar. The remaining bombers had returned to the Avenger. My men are safe, he thought. And they will fight again. Alarms rang in his cockpit.  
  
"Captain Mitan, mission complete," he announced over his comlink. If I could only see my wife just one more time ...  
  
"Gotcha!" Wedge locked the TIE bomber in his targeting range. He zapped a wing, then the main engine of the bomber. It exploded, but the Rogue Leader had little time to relish the victory. The Avenger was already approaching, led by a vengeful swarm of TIE fighters.  
  
"All fighters prepare to form a defensive perimeter around the frigates!" Wedge ordered.  
  
So the rumours are true. The Imperial Fleet is still active. And ready for battle.  
  
  
  
[The bridge, the Avenger]  
  
Captain Mitan pinched his forehead. Alpha's squadron commander was one of the best in the galaxy. He marched over to the communications officer. "News from Cloud City?"  
  
The officer reviewed the communications logs. "The landing party have captured the defense compound. They are prepared to take those ion cannon offline ... or ..."  
  
The captain raised an eyebrow. "Or?"  
  
"We could turn those cannons against the Rebel fleet. We may be able to force them to withdraw."  
  
The captain glanced at General Veers. "Something's not right." Mitan reviewed the radar again. "X-Wings and A-Wings have assumed a defensive position around the frigates. Were there not Y-Wings at their initial attack run?!"  
  
Y-Wings are slower than the faster X-Wings and A-Wings, Mitan thought. They do, however, have formidable bombing capabilities. Bombing ...  
  
"General Veers. It's a trap! The Rebels ... it was their intention all along to destroy the defensive compound ..."  
  
"Blast them!" Veers cursed. "They were baiting the landing party ... waiting for the opportunity to ..."  
  
Mitan checked the radar. "A squadron of Y-Wings are descending on the defense compound." The captain looked towards the communications station.  
  
The communications officer slammed the comlink button. "Bespin landing party. Evacuate the compound. It's a trap!"  
  
[Central defense compound, Cloud City]  
  
Knessel and her troops investigated the main command centre. They had already disabled the ion cannons and turbo lasers. Overhead were the screeches of starfighters.  
  
"Repeat, Avenger ... your channel is breaking up," she yelled into her comlink.  
  
"It's a trap! Get out of the compound, now!!" The officer's voice was frantic. On the radar, the Y-Wings were racing towards the compound.  
  
"Everyone out!" Knessel ordered her troops. "Those are Y-Wings beginning their attack run!!" Scores of stormtroopers poured out of the breach in the entrance. Did everyone make it out?  
  
A dozen Y-Wings soared unopposed over Cloud City. "Activate targeting computer." Green Leader ordered. "A few more seconds ..."  
  
On the ground, a stormtrooper interrupted Knessel. "About 20 stormtroopers went to the munitions level to check on small arms, rifles ..."  
  
Knessel looked up. The Y-Wings roared, preparing to deliver death to their squadron. She began to run back to the compound. "Everyone out!" TK-7222, the new stormtrooper squadron leader, held her back. "It's too late, lieutenant!" They ducked behind a speeder as the Y-Wings barraged the compound with their bombs. The defense compound's roof buckled, then gave way. Fire billowed from the breaches in the walls.  
  
Knessel had hoped that they could use the turbo lasers and ion cannons against the invading Rebel fleet. Those rebels knew that and were prepared to destroy those very defenses. Now their invasion would be unopposed. Within the hour, tens of thousands of Rebel troops, vehicles and ships would overwhelm their pitiful landing party. She turned on her comlink.  
  
"Knessel to the Avenger."  
  
"Captain Mitan. Report, Lieutenant."  
  
"The defense compound ... the rebels destroyed it ... most of my squadron survived. Another squadron is providing support for the main Imperial garrison."  
  
"Proceed to the main civic building. We are sending an extraction party. Link up with them there. We will try to extract you and the garrison's defenders before the main Rebel force arrives."  
  
"A retreat? But, sir, if we could just hang onto the civic building, that would give us effective control of the planet ..."  
  
"Lieutenant, you have your orders. Several transport ships have already departed the Rebel frigate. If we don't act - now - to rescue the garrison, they will all be lost."  
  
"Acknowledged." Several stormtroopers gathered around for their orders.  
  
"We have orders to regroup with the other squadron and repel the Rebel militias until the extraction force arrives ... for evacuation."  
  
Knessel hated those words. Evacuation. Any thought of holding the planet evaporated when those Y-Wings destroyed the defense compound. Right now our goal is survival. The civic building was across several bridges. Her troops were already under fire from Rebel snipers atop the surrounding buildings and towers.  
  
"Keep going!" she ordered, as she exchanged fire with one of the enemy snipers. At the other end of the city, she could see Rebel transports hovering, then landing. Hordes of Rebel soldiers streamed out. Towards the civic building.  
  
Her squadron advanced over one bridge, losing several troopers to sniper fire. A wide courtyard. Several grenades were lobbed towards them. A few more troopers died. A dozen grenadier troopers neutralized the partisan defenders. One last bridge. 100 or 120 Rebel soldiers already rushed across the bridge. Too close for blaster fire or grenades.  
  
The lead Rebel soldier grappled with Knessel. "Surrender, officer!"  
  
Knessel punched him in the chin. "The city is ours, rebel scum!" She climbed over a few fallen rebels and lunged at another soldier - tossing him over the bridge. By sheer volume of troops, the Imperial force slowly pushed the Rebels back. One by one, the Rebels fell back and retreated across the bridge.  
  
The stormtroopers formed a defensive line, flanked by the grenadier and heavy rifle troopers. Knessel watched as the surviving rebels crouched behind walls, crates and debris.  
  
"Stand down, rebels!" she ordered. "The garrison stays in Imperial hands." If they could just hold on, perhaps the rebels will choose to withdraw instead of fighting.  
  
The rebel commander could simply surrender and allow this landing party free access to the civic building. Those few moments could give the Imperial garrison the opportunity to finally repel the Rebel force. We must give Calrissian's force ample time to arrive, he thought.  
  
"The Empire is finished!" the commander taunted. "On my mark. Fire!" Several stormtroopers in the front line fell to enemy blaster fire.  
  
"Grenadiers!" Knessel ordered. They knelt and fired their concussion grenades. The main plaza before the civic building was soon littered with the charred remains and lingering screams of the Rebels' last line of defense.  
  
A stormtrooper placed a detonator on the main door. A burst of fire and shrapnel, and the civic building's outer walls were theirs. She spotted several hundred troops of the Imperial Garrison of Cloud City.  
  
"We're here to lift the siege. An extraction force will be here in moments," Knessel announced, expecting a sigh of relief. There was none.  
  
She noticed several Imperial and Rebel soldiers - dead or dying - throughout the courtyard. The surviving garrison and the reinforcements had huddled together in one last, desperate square. Something at the centre of the room was draped in the Imperial Insignia. "Our commandant fell during the Rebels' final thrust," an olive-uniformed lieutenant explained, "We tried to hold the inner building, but we were overwhelmed."  
  
"My, my, what have we here," a voice boomed from the upper ramparts. "The so-called landing party that was supposed to keep the city ... MY city ... under Imperial control! As you can see, the siege was lifted. We broke it!"  
  
"Lando Calrissian!" Knessel snarled, and aimed her blaster.  
  
Lobot, Lando's confidant and aide, immediately fired his blaster, knocking the E-11 out of Knessel's hands.  
  
"Surrender, now, lieutenant," Lando ordered, "Tell your men to drop their weapons. The garrison commandant forced my hand when he unleashed destroyer droids on my soldiers. Drop your weapons, and I promise you'll be fairly treated, lieutenant ... umm ..."  
  
"Lieutenant Knessel of the Imperial Intelligence Corps. We will not surrender, since we are expecting reinforcements at any moment."  
  
"Don't wait too long," Lando scoffed. "Alliance soldiers have recaptured half of the city. I intend to bring the Bespin system under Rebel protection. Effective immediately. Even now, our starfighters are decimating your TIE fighters. Pretty soon, your Star Destroyer will be defenceless. My two frigates have enough firepower to disable your ship. Permanently!"  
  
Lando had heard the reports about Cloud City under Imperial "protection". The Imperial commandant was ruthless in his suppression of Cloud City's citizens. He had heard tales of torture, imprisonment and executions. Those days end today. Even if he ordered his men to stun these Imperial troops, many would simply ignore the order. They had witnessed the Empire's oppression of their peoples across the galaxy. They wanted revenge and were prepared to shoot to kill.  
  
"For the last time, stand down and drop your weapons." Lando saw that Knessel and her troops were determined to make their stand here. More bloodshed, he thought. Regrettable, but necessary. Cloud City has suffered Imperial persecution for too long.  
  
Lando instructed Lobot to move the prisoners behind the Rebel lines. With the potential collateral damage out of the way, it remained a tense stalemate. Most of the garrison refused to surrender. Knessel's party - less than 100 now - remained in the centre.  
  
Lando then cleared his throat. "Rebel commanders, if any Imperial trooper or officer remains armed within ONE minute, order your men to cut them down! For one ... last ... time ... stand down and surrender!"  
  
"Aim your fire at General Calrissian!" she ordered. "If he wants to be a martyr, that's his mistake."  
  
Lobot's trigger finger itched. In a micro-second, he could strike down the foolish young lieutenant with one shot from his laser pistol.  
  
Lando wiped his brow. The Empire has fallen. Why can't she see that? "Rebel commanders, prepare to fire on the Imperial landing party. Use ... whatever force you feel is necessary to subdue them."  
  
Knessel wiped the sweat off her forehead with her hand. A few stormtroopers glanced hesitantly at her. They don't want to die today, she thought, but they're prepared to follow me to hell. I wanted to prove myself to this new Imperial Council. To prove my loyalty. It appears that the Empire is going to lose this round. I hate failure ... 


	10. Rearguard Action

[Above Cloud City]  
  
General Veers looked out the transport window. Half of the city was now in Rebel hands ... and more of their forces continued to flood unopposed through every street, intersection, plaza, bridge and courtyard. Even an Imperial foothold in the civic building could not be sustained.  
  
A retreat, he grumbled. It is the only logical option for us.  
  
"General," the stormtrooper commander stated, "it appears the insertion party has been captured."  
  
Veers glanced at the monitor. "Magnify. Factor of 50." The pilot nodded and flicked a few switches.  
  
Lieutenant Knessel was still alive. And the bulk of the Imperial garrison.  
  
"Land in that plaza." The two transport ships settled a few yards to the rear of the civic building. The soldiers - actually a motley crew of stormtroopers, snowtroopers, sandtroopers, scouts and black-helmeted Death Squad troopers - assembled into two squadrons. Roughly 500 in total ... hardly the thousands of troops the general had been accustomed to deploying. They will have to suffice, he thought.  
  
"TK-8980, your squadron will circle to the Rebels' rear. Make it appear that you're cutting off their escape route. The rest of you will follow my lead ..."  
  
The snowtrooper commander shook his head. "With all due respect, sir, I suggest that you remain with the rearguard. To cover our withdrawal." He took Veers aside. "You are much too valuable for the frontlines."  
  
A dozen gunnery droids hovered on either side of the two squadrons. Veers considered the commander's suggestion. My capture would be a tremendous coup for the Rebel Alliance. Morale among the rank-and-file would surely drop. Temporarily. The mere presence, however, of the victorious general of the Hoth campaign could inspire the beleaguered garrison to embrace the provisional Imperial Council.  
  
"Commander, I respect your caution," he replied, "but this is a test. A test of our resolve. We may lose Cloud City, but with the rescue of the garrison, the entire fleet will regain its confidence." He stepped up before the squadrons. "The Imperial Navy - thank the maker - has provided the Empire with the firepower to win many battles. It is the soldier - the stormtrooper - that is often overlooked. It is the soldier, I believe, that has earned the glory of those victories. The Empire is surviving on the edge of a knife. One act can revive it, or doom it to ruin. The rescue of our comrades shall give the Army its due rewards as the true standard bearers of the Empire. This battle may be lost, but the war continues!"  
  
The commander put on his helmet. "Stormtroopers, prepare for a frontal assault." Scout troopers scattered along a jagged line to provide covering fire for the heavily armed grenadier troopers and snowtroopers.  
  
"One last order," Veers announced as he snapped on his combat helmet, "Set your weapons to kill. I've received word that Lando Calrissian is heading the Rebel invasion force. We lost millions of loyal soldiers on the Death Star. Their deaths must be accounted for. Now!" He began to sprint to the forward scout troopers' lines. "No prisoners!"  
  
The cheers of hundreds of battle-hungry stormtroopers echoed through the towers and buildings of Cloud City.  
  
On the upper ramparts of the civic building, Lando shuddered. What was that rumble?  
  
A rebel commander ran along the upper ramparts. "General, a squadron of Imperial troops are attempting to outflank us from the rear. If they capture the bridge, there is a chance that we'll be cut off from the main invasion force."  
  
"One squadron?" Lando wondered. "I saw two Imperial transports land!"  
  
An explosion in the rear surprised Lando's Rebel force. Several breaches in the outer walls revealed hundreds of stormtroopers. And one grey-armoured Imperial officer.  
  
"Surrender, Calrissian!" Veers ordered. "Throw down your arms, rebels."  
  
Lando nodded at Lobot. Immediately, the Rebel commanders began to pull back - ignoring the Imperial garrison and Knessel's squadrons.  
  
"We must leave now, General," the Rebel commander insisted. The Imperial squadron to their rear was pressing hard. A few more minutes and they'd be surrounded.  
  
"Green leader," Lando uttered in his comlink, "Level the building. Now!" Lando, Lobot and his Rebel force slowly withdrew.  
  
"They're withdrawing!" Knessel declared. "Squadron! Fire at will!" The streaks of laser fire created a haze of smoke in the courtyard. Some Rebels fell, but the bulk of Calrissian's force retreated methodically - providing covering fire as their comrades withdrew.  
  
"Pursue them!" Knessel ordered, as several lines of stormtroopers began to advance.  
  
"Halt!" Veers' voice boomed across the courtyard. "Listen!" In the distance, a terrifying hum drifted in the air. It grew louder.  
  
And closer.  
  
"Shall we continue the pursuit?" Knessel inquired. The snowtrooper commander glanced nervously at the withdrawing Rebels.  
  
"Both of you - order your troops to withdraw. Now." Veers peered acros the horizon. Several Y-Wing squadrons were racing towards them.  
  
"General Veers!" the transport pilot yelled in his comlink. "Withdraw now! The Rebels are going to bomb your position at any moment!"  
  
Veers caught a glimpse of Calrissian's cape fluttering behind a distant tower. He had escaped. The Imperial troops scrambled out of the building and raced towards the transports.  
  
"What of the secondary squadron?" Knessel inquired. "Will they be able to make it back?"  
  
Veers jogged towards the first transport. "We'll wait as long as we can. Once those Y-Wings begin their attack run ..."  
  
"... but, sir ..." a snowtrooper interrupted, "... that's almost 300 men ... some of whom served with you at Hoth ..."  
  
Veers leaped onto the boarding platform. "The rescue of the garrison - over 2,000 survivors - outweighs any personal loyalties we may have."  
  
"Permission to lead a rearguard action ... at least until that squadron returns?" Knessel asked.  
  
The lead Y-Wings were already firing upon the transports. "We must leave now!" the pilot screamed.  
  
Veers pointed forward. "Transports! Return to the Avenger." The troops looked through the rear window as the first dozen troops from the secondary squadron arrived ... only to see their means of escape take flight.  
  
Then the Y-Wings arrived. The torpedoes and bombs obliterated the outer walls of the civic building. If General Calrissian could not capture the civic building, he would deny the Imperial Army the privilege of capturing it.  
  
The snowtrooper commander took off his helmet. "I fought with many of them. We stormed the Rebels' Echo Base together. Now ... they're gone."  
  
"They knew their duty to the Empire," Knessel replied, "We must all make sacrifices." Some stormtroopers glared at her.  
  
"What would an intelligence officer know of sacrifice?" one trooper complained. "The Emperor placed too much faith in the advice of the Intelligence Corps. Endor was a strategic disaster! I lost half of my battalion on the Executor, thanks to them!" Several troopers grumbled in agreement.  
  
"I lost many friends in the Battle of Endor!" Knessel insisted.  
  
"Enough!" the snowtrooper commander barked. "Enough of this bickering! Our foe is the Rebel Alliance, not each other!"  
  
"Well said," Veers remarked. "I don't like leaving men behind - especially those who have served with me in previous campaigns. I was not prepared, however, to lose an entire Imperial garrison. When Cloud City became an occupied territory, the Empire had 5,000 soldiers stationed here. They have lost half that number over the past few days. They have made their sacrifices. I am asking all of you to stay focused. Mon Mothma, Princess Leia, Skywalker and their damnable rebellion must be stopped. At any cost - whether it be 10 men, 10,000 ... or more. Our friends on the Death Star and on the frontlines of Endor paid the ultimate price for their loyalty. If anyone here is not prepared to honour their memory by fighting with the same dedication, I do not wish to serve with you. You should depart for the nearest Alliance planet, betray your fallen comrades and enlist in that blasted Rebellion. The Imperial Army has no place for cowards!"  
  
The stormtroopers remained muted. They had no right to complain. They were the survivors. A few troopers began pounding their rifle butts on the floor. "Veers! Veers! Veers!" Soon, the entire ship rang with the rhythmic pounding and chanting of hundreds of stormtroopers.  
  
"I believe you've won their confidence, General," the snowtrooper commander remarked.  
  
[Rebel command frigate, Resolution]  
  
Lando draped the cape over his shoulders as he returned to the bridge. Had he waited a few moments longer, his transport would have been caught in the naval battle erupting over Bespin.  
  
"Report, Colonel Walekk."  
  
"The Avenger arrived in Bespin a few minutes ago, sir," Walekk replied. "They haven't made any aggressive moves yet, except for their TIE fighters. Dogfights are breaking out all over the place, but it seems they're only trying to keep us from getting too close."  
  
Lando nodded. "Which is what we're doing, too. General Veers just extracted the garrison's survivors before we could complete the capture of Cloud City. We have at least 100,000 troops and personnel fortifying our positions there. Bespin is now ours." Lando grinned as the bridge officers cheered.  
  
Several explosions littered the main bridge monitor. Those fighters are getting closer.  
  
"Colonel, order our spare fighters to capture any Imperial transports that are fleeing the city. We may yet have our chance to take General Veers out of the picture."  
  
Another officer interrupted him. "Sir? We have a priority message from Admiral Ackbar."  
  
Lando clicked the holographic console. "The main Rebel fleet will be approaching the Corellian system in moments," the admiral confirmed.  
  
"Excellent!" Lando smiled, "We'll have those shipyards yet! ... Any reports from Coruscant?"  
  
"As you know, the planet is now in Rebel hands. Princess Leia is overseeing the surrender of Imperial Army and Navy personnel. A provisional Senate will begin the process of POW processing and repatriation. There was a minor skirmish on the Imperial Academy parade grounds two days ago, but that is now over. Any resistance of note on Coruscant ... has been dealt with."  
  
"And my friends?" Lando inquired.  
  
"One or two regiments of the Emperor's Royal Guard escaped Coruscant before the Imperial Governor surrendered. Commander Skywalker is following some promising leads on their whereabouts. General Solo is assuming command of the Correlian Defense Fleet. He will be ready to provide assistance on our next objective. Congratulations, General, on your victory in Bespin ... and may the Force be with you."  
  
Lando saluted. "Thank you, Admiral ... and be careful out there. If we recognize the potential of Sienar's shipyards, so will the Imperial Navy's survivors ..."  
  
The admiral's hologram faded. Lando then tapped the communications console. "Rogue Leader, have you got a bead on those Imperial transports?"  
  
Wedge swerved his X-Wing away from a pair of TIE Interceptors. "Negative. With the firefight out here, I haven't been able to regroup my squadrons. We're barely holding our own out here!"  
  
"Gunnery officer!" Lando barked, "Concentrate our firepower on the Avenger. Perhaps that'll force those TIE fighters to back off." He returned to the communications console. "Wedge, I don't think the Avenger will stick around for long once Veers returns aboard. Whatever you can do to catch him ..."  
  
"Don't worry, General," Wedge answered, "I lost some buddies on Hoth. We'll get him."  
  
Lando watched the monitor. The firefight set the Bespin system alight with bursts of cannon fire and explosions. Those TIE fighters are relentless! Some fighters - disabled by cannon fire - were colliding into Alliance fighters to keep them away from the Avenger. If the rest of the Imperial forces were as determined as these TIE pilots, he thought, we may be in for a longer fight than we anticipated ... 


	11. Debt of Honour

[Docking bay, the Avenger

Veers removed his battle helmet and turned to the transport's crew. "My compliments to you, pilot."

"The honour is mine, General. You just saved 2,000 troops! If you ever need a pilot for another mission, you know where to find me."

Veers shook his hand. "I'm envious of Captain Mitan. The Avenger was rumoured to have the finest naval pilots in the Empire. I see now that the reputation is well-earned." The pilots cheered.

Knessel helped an injured stormtrooper out of the transport vessel. Veers walked towards them. "Injury report, lieutenant."

Knessel cleared her throat. "About 20 with combat injuries: broken arms, lacerations, blaster burns. We lost TK-7532 in transit. The wound was too deep."

"The sandtrooper?" Veers remarked. "Inform the Avenger's Sandtrooper commander that his regiment is relieved of their combat duties today." He directed the injured to the infirmary.

The survivors of the Cloud City garrison looked disoriented. "Report to the appropriate divisional commanders for your new assignments," Veers ordered, "You are on stand-by alert. Await further instructions."

Knessel was about to leave when Veers summoned her. "A word, lieutenant."

"Yes, General!" she snapped at attention.

"You may dispense with the formalities. Report to the war chamber in 10 minutes." Veers continued to bark out several orders to officers, troops and technicians.

Knessel quickly wiped away the soot and smoke from her face, flattened out her uniform and adjusted her hair - tucking in the stray locks that dangled under her cap. She marched to the war chamber - once the private reserve of only the Empire's highest ranking officers. Men like Captain Needa. And now Captain Mitan. Service on the Avenger was almost as prized an appointment as one on the Executor.

Veers was looking at the holo-projector. "General Veers, " Admiral Tenvor reported, "the fleet is on stand-by on the perimeter of Corellian airspace."

"Excellent. I regret to inform you that Cloud City has fallen to General Calrissian and his Rebel armada. You may, however, tell your crew that the 2,000-strong veterans of the Cloud City garrison will be joining their ranks shortly."

Tenvor nodded. "Understood. Vindicator out." The hologram faded.

"You requested to see me, General?" Knessel stated.

Veers appeared disinterested as he reviewed files on the monitor. "I don't like intelligence officers."

Knessel was taken aback. "Sir?"

"Action should define promotion in the Imperial forces. Deeds tested on the frontlines. Not the political manoeuvrings of glory-bent officers."

"With all due respect, sir," Knessel stated, "the Imperial Intelligence Corps has worked faithfully for the Emperor's cause ..."

"... yes, and often at the expense of the common stormtrooper, TIE pilot and junior officer!" Veers growled. "When the New Order emerged, I had hoped that the professional officer would rise through the ranks on merit. I was sadly mistaken. The grand households of the Old Republic still managed to subvert the chain of command, carving personal spheres of influence with the lives of Imperial troops. My troops! Spare me the idealistic drivel the Intelligence Corps fed you at the Academy." Veers stepped up to Knessel's face.

"You fought with tenacity on Cloud City, while placing the lives of your men ahead of your own. Self-sacrifice is not characteristic of Imperial officers - especially those of the Intelligence Corps.."

"I would never place my men at risk, if I were not prepared to take those very risks myself," Knessel replied.

"The Emperor promoted officers based on their political loyalties. It was rare indeed that an officer gained any command of significance without political influence to support him. Palpatine was a senator in the Old Republic, as you may recall." He glanced at the continuing dogfights above Bespin. He tapped a console. "TIE command. Recall our fighters. Captain Mitan will be jumping into hyperspace shortly."

"Why do you wish to serve the Empire?" Veers questioned. "For promotion? Status? Personal vendetta? Profit? What motivates you, Lieutenant Mira Knessel?"

Knessel watched the intense firefight in space. TIE pilots sacrificing themselves for a cause. Not to impose rule by fear, as Grand Moff Tarkin's doctrine states, but to restore order to an unruly and petty galaxy. Their cause is right. It must be right.

"I serve to repay a debt of honour, sir." Knessel explained. "The late Admiral Piett had saved my family from pirates many years ago. I would not be here today if he didn't have faith in me. I continue to serve because I refuse to accept that he died a pointless death."

"Rest assured, he did not die a pointless death," Veers mumbled, "I lost many good soldiers aboard the Executor. Some I would even consider friends." He chuckled to himself. "The good admiral saved my life on more than one occasion, did you know that?" He gazed wistfully at the skies. The TIE fighters were withdrawing, with X-Wings relentlessly pursuing them.

Veers regained his concentration. "If you're expecting preferential treatment because you're Piett's protege ..."

"No, sir, I would never exploit my ties to the late admiral like that!" she declared.

"As it stands, you have proven the admiral's faith in you. I've been reviewing some of the retrieved personnel files the Executor has transmitted shortly before -" Veers paused again. "He and his crew did not die in vain. That I will assure you!" He pulled out a cylinder. "It's an encrypted holographic message. Dated a few years ago. Our technicians managed to salvage it from the Executor's transmitted files."

Knessel held the cylinder in front of her right eye. A slight flash scanned her retina, which activated the cylinder.

Admiral Piett's hologram appeared. "Personal file. Admiral Piett, the Executor. Authorization - Sigma Five. Greetings, General Veers. I congratulate you on your promotion as commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army. A well deserved promotion. Commander Jerjerrod is devastated. He had hoped that his ties to the Emperor would earn him the promotion. But I digress ... I wish to ask you a favour, Maximilian. A pupil of mine, a Lieutenant Knessel, is serving aboard a gunnery ship on the Kessel route. My sources inform me that elements in the Intelligence Corps are plotting something vile. I'm told they're intentionally letting Rebel spies slip through the naval dragnet. I fear they may frame Knessel for this. Please, will you keep your eyes open and let me know ... if she's alright. She's more than a stellar student ... I regard her as if she was my daughter. I would appreciate any news ..."

Knessel fought to remain indifferent. Piett seemed so alive in the hologram. It was too much to bear. His hologram had turned to an aide. "... we've engaged the Calamari fleet. Alert TIE command ... General Veers, my best regards. Thank you for your help ..."

She reached out to touch the hologram, but it faded into nothingness.

"He sent me a holographic message about half an hour before the Executor was lost," Veers revealed, "I - have yet to look at it. I gave you yours ... so you will understand why. Why we, as officers, must carry on the fight. The Emperor was enraged at the loss of the second Death Star's plans. Piett was right: members of the Intelligence Corps did betray you. Frame you. Lord Vader issued an order to arrest you. I countermanded the order. Piett saved my life. I saved the life of his favourite pupil. Consider your debt of honour discharged. I want officers with commitment, not burdens. If you have any doubts about our cause, tell me now, and I will disperse your squadron amongst the other officers ... Commander."

Knessel blinked. "C-commander?"

Veers smiled and handed her a new rank insignia. "By authority of the Imperial Council - and approved by Admiral Tenvor of the Imperial fleet - I grant you the field commission of Commander. If you do accept, you will be entitled to your own squadron. Which shouldn't be too hard to assemble, since most of the troopers from your past mission have been pleading to serve with you."

"I do accept, sir!" Knessel grinned, "but I request that my crew from the Grenadier remain under my command. They have proven their worth a thousand- fold. I still owe them a debt of honour."

"I don't see any problem with that. Your direct superior is Captain Mitan. But I consider your squadron a special operations unit. From time to time, I'll be requesting your squadron's help on select missions .."

"You will not be disappointed!" Knessel announced.

"Carry on, Commander Knessel. I have many requisition orders, personnel transfers and army-navy disputes to settle before we rendezvous with the fleet. I will be quite angry once I'm through with this bureaucratic mess. I suggest you leave now before that happens!"

Knessel nodded. "Yes, sir, General!" She left the war chamber and ran to the turbolift.

"Commander Knessel! My own squadron!" she smiled. Admiral Piett, you were right to have faith in me. I'll continue the fight for you.

I promise.

[The Vindicator, outside the Correlian system

"Sienar Fleet Systems' shipyard is a parsec away, Admiral," Lieutenant Reksil reported.

"Good." Tenvor reviewed his bridge console. With the addition of the Avenger, the Imperial Fleet can muster seven Star Destroyers. Roughly 100,000 troops and personnel. Several hundred TIE fighters. A formidable planetary invasion force by any standard.

The Rebel Alliance, however, has at least 10 times that. And their numbers continue to grow as more star systems oppose Imperial governance and side with the so-called New Republic. Their forces are stretched out, as they engage in skirmishes and revolutions across the galaxy.

Our Imperial forces - here in Correlian space - are united. The return of Veers will surely boost morale in the rank-and-file.

Alarms rang out on the bridge. Lieutenant Reksil scrambled out of the communications subdeck. "Admiral, you're receiving a priority message from the Correlian Defense Fleet!"

"On the monitor!" Tenvor stood in the middle of the bridge. "This is Admiral Tenvor of the Imperial Fleet. Identify yourself!"

A familiar face smirked at him. "Admiral, this is General Han Solo of the Millennium Falcon." Chewbacca growled beside him. "Turn your ships around and report to the Processing Centre on Coruscant, where we will graciously accept your formal surrender."

Arrogant fool, Tenvor grumbled. The radar revealed that Solo's fleet had seven heavy frigates and a multitude of starfighters. "Reksil! Status of the Rebel Fleet!" Tenvor barked.

Reksil tapped his console. "Admiral Ackar's fleet will be in Correlian airspace within the hour!"

"Give it up, Tenvor. It's not your fight anymore. I know you want Sienar's shipyards. So does the Alliance. You've lost Bespin. Get out while the gettin's good. My co-pilot doesn't take kindly to stormtroopers."

Tenvor remained confident. "Officer Nemi..."

"Yes, Admiral." Nemi frowned as she looked at Solo's smug face on the monitor.

"Instruct the forward gunners to fire on the Millennium Falcon." A pair of bolts zapped - with one brushing across the Falcon's bow.

Solo steadied himself as the Falcon rattled. "Oh, you wanna fight, do you? Correlian fleet ... deploy your fighters. Attack the Star Destroyers! Bad call, Admiral. We have you outmanned and outgunned. I'd suggest you reserve a spot on an escape pod. You're going to need it pretty soon!" He cut the communications.

Han turned to Chewbacca. "Who does this guy think he is?" Chewie growled. "Yeah, you're tellin' me, buddy. What a sore loser!"

Tenvor saw that the well-armed Correlian fleet blocked their route to the Sienar shipyards. What the Imperial fleet lacked in firepower, he thought, it would make up in discipline.

Determination.

"The Avenger will arrive in moments, Admiral," Reksil reported.

"Alert all commands," Tenvor ordered. Finally - a full naval battle! "Destroyer captains, prepare to engage the Correlians! We will regroup at the Sienar shipyards."

"Do you think we can prevail?" Reksil wondered. "The Correlians will be defending their home system."

"I know we will, Lieutenant," Tenvor responded, "the Empire is counting on us!" Bespin fell to the Rebels. The shipyards will not.

Alarms honked throughout the ship. TIE pilots scrambled to their fighters. Stormtroopers marched to their ready stations - in preparation for boarding any captured vessels.

The Millennium Falcon zoomed towards the bridge. "All hands, prepare for battle!" Reksil announced.

Sienar Fleet Systems remained loyal to the Galactic Empire - even now, when opportunity would suggest that they should cast their lot with the victorious Alliance. Reports indicated that the Correlians intended to capture the shipyards. Or destroy them, if they could not dislodge the heavily-defended Imperial bunker that protected the yards.

We cannot afford to lose this battle, the admiral thought. Lose this fight - and the war is surely over.

EPILOGUE:

[The Avenger's war chamber

Veers completed the last requisition order. The Imperial Army - what was left of the once-fearsome war machine -- would have its blasters. He tapped a console.

"Report, Captain Mitan."

"We will be in the Correlian system in moments, sir." Mitan replied.

"Prepare my shuttle. I shall be joining the Vindicator. I want to be ready in the event we land troops on Correlia."

"Acknowledged. I'll inform Admiral Tenvor to await your arrival."

He held the tiny holo-disk in his fingers. The late Admiral Piett's last holographic transmission before the Executor impaled the Death Star and evaporated hundreds of thousands of the Empire's finest officers, pilots and troops. He had this disk for several days now.

He placed the disk on the table and clicked it. A pale blue hologram materialized.

"Personal file. Admiral Piett, the Executor. Authorization - Sigma Five. General Veers, I trust you are well. The Rebels are pressing hard. I'm told General Calrissian, the hero of the Battle of Tanaab, commands this Rebel armada. The shield generator on Endor is now down. Damn those Rebel scum! The Death Star is vulnerable. I just wanted to relay this message ... the odds are no longer in our favour ... but we all have our duty to fulfil, don't we? Maximilian, should I fall ..." Piett paused.

Veers took off his cap. Piett continued. "... I'm transmitting everything ... personnel files, classified intelligence reports, archives ... everything we have, including some files we obtained from the Death Star ... the Emperor's intelligence operatives tried to block our access, but the Rebel capture of the shield generator gave us the opening we wanted. I've seen too many lives wasted because of the scheming of a handful of power-hungry opportunists. Weed them out. Show no mercy. None! Should the Rebels prevail, your task will be daunting. Don't trust the governors, the political appointees of the Emperor ... none of them!"

Piett's hologram glanced to his right. "If you receive this message, the Executor must have been captured - or destroyed. Remember the rank-and- file. It's the duty of the officers to give them a voice. I trust - no, I KNOW - that you will uphold that obligation with grace and distinction. By the maker, we shall fight on! You've always told me that you owed me a life- debt. Your friendship has repaid that debt on countless occasions. Maximilian, my friend, I bid you goodbye. Long live the Empire!"

Veers, alone in the war chamber, buried his head in his hands. Rest in peace, soldier. The battle is yours to fight no longer.

The battle is now mine to continue.

Rebel pretenders and traitorous Imperial opportunists, take heed!

Our comrades now join the Empire's fallen in the heavens. Their duty is done.

My duty is to bring Hell to the enemy. With cannon, starfighters, heavy armour and a relentless wave of Imperial troops.

The time for regret is over.

There is but one thought in my mind ...

Death.

And I, General Maximilian Veers, will be its deliverer.

END OF PART I

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

"Glory for All" will continue in a story-arc format. Part I established the principal characters and - as you might have noted - several plotlines to be pursued in the future. We all know Admiral Tenvor's fleet is poised for a large-scale naval confrontation with an evenly matched Correlian fleet - and Han Solo as the armada's leader. I haven't forgotten about Captain Silec (son of Admiral Ozzel). He hasn't forgotten his father's shameful death, and neither have I. The seeds of dissent have been sown aboard the Star Destroyer, Relentless. Something's got to give ...

Hopefully I'll go into the backgrounds of the junior officers: Tass Nemi, Lieutenant Reksil and the indefatigable Commander Knessel. Luke Skywalker is pursuing a group of renegade Emperor's Royal Guards: will Veers help the Guards and destroy Luke? Or does the general have more to fear from the secretive crimson guardsmen? Leia has crushed Imperial resistance on Coruscant - or, so she believes. Part II will have plenty of details to work out.

Alert all commands for Part II. In this universe, the epic Battle of Endor didn't end the war; it inflamed a new one.

Part II continues in _Honour or Death._ (Check my profile page for link).


End file.
